blanket at once, and
lie quiet in the thicket."
Robert was prompt to take his advice, as his body was hot and his sight
was wavering. He felt that he was going to be ill and he might get it over
all the quicker by surrendering to it at once. He rolled the blanket
tightly about himself and lay down on the softest spot he could find. In
the night he became delirious and talked continually of Langlade, St. Luc
and Montcalm. But Tayoga watched by him continually until late, when he
hunted through the forest by moonlight for some powerful herbs known to
the Indians. In the morning he beat them and bruised them and cooked them
as best he could without utensils, and then dropped the juices into his
comrade's mouth, after which he carefully put out the fire, lest it be seen
by savage rovers.
Robert was soon very much better. He had a profuse perspiration and came
out of his unconscious state, but was quite weak. He was also thoroughly
ashamed of himself.
"Nice time for me to be breaking down," he said, "here in the wilderness
near an Indian village, hundreds of miles from any of our friends, save
those who are captured. I make my apologies, Tayoga."
"They are not needed," said the Onondaga. "You defended me with your life
when I was wounded and the wolves sought to eat me, now I repay again.
There is nothing for Dagaeoga to do but to keep on perspiring, see that the
blanket is still wrapped around him, and tonight I will get something in
which to cook the food he needs."
"How will you do that?"
"I will go again to my village. I call it mine because it supplies what we
need and I will return with the spoil. Bide you in peace, Dagaeoga. You
have called me an accomplished burglar. I am more, I am a great one."
Robert had the utmost confidence in him, and it was justified. When he
awoke from a restless slumber, Tayoga stood beside him, holding in his hand
a small iron kettle made in Canada, and a great iron spoon.
"They are the best they had in the village," he said. "It is not a large
and rich village and so its possessions are not great, but I think these
will do. I have also brought with me some very tender meat of a young deer
that I found in one of the lodges."
"You're all you claimed to be and more, Tayoga," said Robert earnestly and
gratefully.
The Onondaga lighted a fire in a dip, and cutting the deer into tiny bits
made a most appetizing soup, which Robert's weak stomach was able to retain
and to cra
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