ned for their weary backward journey, though their minds
were too full to spare a thought upon the leagues which lay behind them
or those which were before. Old Ephraim, less accustomed to walking
than his younger comrades, was already limping and footsore, but, for
all his age, he was as tough as hickory, and full of endurance. Du Lhut
took the lead again and they turned their faces once more towards the
north.

The moon was shining brightly in the sky, but it was little aid to the
travellers in the depths of the forest. Where it had been shadowy in
the daytime it was now so absolutely dark that De Catinat could not see
the tree-trunks against which he brushed. Here and there they came upon
an open glade bathed in the moonshine, or perhaps a thin shaft of silver
light broke through between the branches, and cast a great white patch
upon the ground, but Du Lhut preferred to avoid these more open spaces,
and to skirt the glades rather than to cross them. The breeze had
freshened a little, and the whole air was filled with the rustle and
sough of the leaves. Save for this dull never-ceasing sound all would
have been silent had not the owl hooted sometimes from among the
tree-tops, and the night-jar whirred above their heads.

Dark as it was, Du Lhut walked as swiftly as during the sunlight, and
never hesitated about the track. His comrades could see, however, that
he was taking them a different way to that which they had gone in the
morning, for twice they caught a sight of the glimmer of the broad river
upon their left, while before they had only seen the streams which
flowed into it. On the second occasion he pointed to where, on the
farther side, they could see dark shadows flitting over the water.

"Iroquois canoes," he whispered. "There are ten of them with eight men
in each. They are another party, and they are also going north."

"How do you know that they are another party?"

"Because we have crossed the trail of the first within the hour."

De Catinat was filled with amazement at this marvellous man who could
hear in his sleep and could detect a trail when the very tree-trunks
were invisible to ordinary eyes. Du Lhut halted a little to watch the
canoes, and then turned his back to the river, and plunged into the
woods once more. They had gone a mile or two when suddenly he came to a
dead stop, snuffing at the air like a hound on a scent.

"I smell burning wood," said he. "There is a fire within