sentinels of the foe, when they come down from the north. Sharp
Sword is too great a general not to use all of his advantages in battle. He
will advance by water as well as by land, but, first he will use his eyes,
before he permits his hand to strike. Do you see anything far up the lake,
Dagaeoga?"

"Only the sunlight on the waters."

"Yes, that is all. I believed, for a moment or two, that I saw a black dot
there, but it was only my fancy creating what I expected my sight to
behold. Let us look again all around the horizon, where it touches the
water, following it as we would a line. Ah, I think I see a dark speck,
just a black mote at this distance, and I am still unable to separate fancy
from fact, but it may be fact. What do you think, Dagaeoga?"

"My thought has not taken shape yet, Tayoga, but if 'tis fancy then 'tis
singularly persistent. I see the black mote too, to the left, toward the
western shore of the lake, is it not?"

"Aye, Dagaeoga, that is where it is. If we are both the victims of fancy
then our illusions are wonderfully alike. Think you that we would imagine
exactly the same thing at exactly the same place?"

"No, I don't! And as I live, Tayoga, the mote is growing larger! It takes
on the semblance of reality, and, although very far from us, it's my belief
that it's moving this way!"

"Again my fancy is the same as yours and it is not possible that they
should continue exactly alike through all changes. That which may have been
fancy in the beginning has most certainly turned into fact, and the black
mote that we see upon the waters is in all probability a hostile canoe
coming to spy upon us."

They watched the dark dot detach itself from the horizon and grow
continuously until their eyes told them, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that
it was a canoe containing two warriors. It was moving swiftly and presently
Rogers and Willet came to look at it. The two warriors brought their light
craft on steadily, but stopped well out of rifle shot, where they let their
paddles rest and gazed long at the shore.

"It is like being without a right arm to have no force upon the lake," said
Rogers.

"It cripples us sorely," said Willet. "Perhaps we'd better swallow our
pride, bitter though the medicine may be, and retreat at speed."

"I can't do it," said Rogers. "I'm here to hold back St. Luc, if I can, and
moreover, 'tis too late. We'd be surrounded in the forest and probably
annihilated."

"I suppose