ail of the Great Bear was well among the ranges and
Tayoga calculated that they could not be many hours behind him, but all the
evidence, as they saw it, showed conclusively that he was going toward Lake
Champlain.

"It seems likely to me," said the Onondaga, "that he left the rangers to
seek us, and that Rogers meanwhile would move eastward. Having learned in
some way or other that he could not find us, he will now follow the rangers
wherever they may go."

"And we will follow him wherever he goes," said Robert.

An hour later the Onondaga uttered an exclamation, and pointed to the
trail. Another man coming from the south had joined Willet. The traces were
quite distinct in the grass, and it was also evident from the character of
the footsteps that the stranger was white.

"A wandering hunter or trapper? A chance meeting?" said Robert.

Tayoga shook his head.

"Then a ranger who was out on a scout, and the two are going on together to
join Rogers?"

"Wrong in both cases," he said. "I know who joined the Great Bear, as well
as if I saw him standing there in the footprints he has made. It was not a
wandering hunter and it was not a ranger. You will notice, Dagaeoga, that
these traces are uncommonly large. They are not slender like the footprints
of the Great Bear, but broad as well as long. Why, I should know anywhere
in the world what feet made them. Think, Dagaeoga!"

"I don't seem to recall."

"Willet is a great hunter and scout, among the bravest of men, skillful on
the trail, and terrible in battle, but the man who is now with him is all
these also. A band attacking the two would have no easy task to conquer
them. You have seen both on the trail in the forest and you have seen both
in battle. Try hard to think, Dagaeoga!"

"Black Rifle!"

"None other. It is far north for him, but he has come, and he and the Great
Bear were glad to see each other. Here they stood and shook hands."

"There is not a possible sign to indicate such a thing."

"Only the certain rules of logic. Once again I bid you use your mind. We
see with it oftener than with the eye. White men, when they are good
friends and meet after a long absence, always shake hands. So my mind tells
me with absolute certainty that the Great Bear and Black Rifle did so. Then
they talked together a while. Now the eye tells me, because here are
footsteps in a little group that says so, and then they walked on,
fearless of attack. It is an easy trail to