that I would know it anywhere. It is that of
the Mountain Wolf. He probably had a small part of his rangers here and
was on his way to join his main force, to act either with Amherst or
Waraiyageh (Sir William Johnson). Of course he would depart with speed
as soon as his enemy was beaten off."

"Altogether reasonable, Tayoga, and I'm glad Rogers is in these parts
again with his rangers. Our generals will need him."

"The Mountain Wolf stood here a long time," said Tayoga. "He walked now
and then to the right, and also to the left, but he always came back to
this place. He stood here, because it is a little knoll, and from it he
could see better than from anywhere else into the forest that hid the
enemy below. The Mountain Wolf is a wise man, a great forest fighter,
and a great trailer, but he was not alone when he stood here."

"I suppose he had a lieutenant of course, a good man whom he could
trust. Every leader has such a helper."

The Onondaga knelt and examined the traces minutely. When he rose his
eyes were blazing.

"He did have a good helper, an able assistant, O Great Bear!" he said.
"He had one whom he trusted, one whom I could trust, one whom you could
trust. The Mountain Wolf stood by this bush and talked often with one
whom we shall be very glad to see, O Great Bear, one whom the Mountain
Wolf himself was both surprised and glad to see."

"Your meaning is beyond me, Tayoga."

"It will not be beyond you very long, O Great Bear! When Tododaho,
reading my thoughts, looked down on me last night from the great star on
which he has lived four hundred years, and smiled upon me, his smile
meant what it said. The Hodenosaunee are the children of Todohado and
Hayowentha, and they never make sport of them, nor of any one of them."

"I'm still in the dark of the matter, Tayoga!"

"Does not Great Bear remember what I was thinking about when Todohado
smiled? What I said and always believed is true, O Great Bear! I
believed it against all the world and I was right. Look at the traces
beside those of the Mountain Wolf! They are light and faint, but look
well at them, O Great Bear! I would know them anywhere! I have seen them
thousands of times, and so has the Great Bear! Dagaeoga has come back!
He stood here beside the Mountain Wolf! He was on this hill among the
bushes all through the night, while the rangers fought the warriors
among the trees below! He and the Mountain Wolf talked together and
consulted while t