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Tayoga said nothing, and Robert glanced at him. Beads of perspiration stood on the brow of the Onondago, but his eyes glittered. "You have shot well tonight, O Dagaeoga," he said. "Never did a man shoot better. Tonight you have been the greatest bowman in all the world. You have slain the demon wolf, the leader of the pack.
Just as the rays of the rising sun streamed through the crevices of our log tenement, and ere one of us three idlers had risen from his pallet, I heard a moccasined foot moving near me, in the nearly noiseless tread of an Indian. Springing to my feet, I found myself face to face with the missing Onondago! "You here, Susquesus!" I exclaimed; "we supposed you had abandoned us.
"You say true, and I shall join that army, if I have to swim to reach the boats. It will be no difficult thing for us to swim from one of these islands to another, and the troops must pass through the midst of them, 'n order to get into the lower lake. Any reasonable man would stop to pick us up." "No need," said the Onondago, in his quiet way. "Eat breakfast; then go. Got canoe that 'nough."
In this way we went through the country, cracking our jokes, laughing, and noting all oddities that crossed our course. I believe we were ten or twelve days working our way through the state, to Oswego. At Onondago Lake we got into boats, and did better than in the wagons. At a village on the lake shore, the people were very bitter against us, and we had some difficulty.
For several minutes I stood entranced; nor did I speak until the rays of the sun had penetrated the dusky light that lay on the inferior world, as low as the bases of the western mountains. "What are we to do, Susquesus?" I then asked, feeling how much right the Indian now might justly claim to govern our movements. "Eat breakfast, first" the Onondago quietly replied; "then go down mountain."
"How much further do you think it may be to the tree, Onondago?" demanded the surveyor, as soon as the whole party was collected in a circle. "I have a reason for asking." "So many minutes," answered the Indian, holding up five fingers, or the four fingers and thumb of his right hand. "Oak with broken top, and pale-face marks, there."
Willet awakened Robert about two o'clock in the morning it was characteristic of him to take more than his share of the work and the youth stood up, with his rifle in the hollow of his arm, ready at once. "Tayoga did more yesterday than either of us," said the hunter, "and so we'll let him sleep." But the Onondago had awakened, though he did not move.
"That road good for young men who don't want see enemy!" said Susquesus, with ironical point. "By St. Nicholas! Indian, what do you mean?" cried Guert, turning short on his heels and moving swiftly towards the Onondago, who did not wait for the menacing blow, but wheeled in his tracks and led off, at a quick pace, directly towards the north-west.
The reader may be certain, it was not long before I had communicated the intelligence brought by the Trackless, to my companions; who received it as young men would be; apt to listen to tidings so stirring. The Onondago was summoned to our council, and he renewed his protestation that it was time for us to be moving. "No stop" he answered, when questioned again on the subject; "time go.
You will remember, he has not sold Ticonderoga to the French, as the Mohawks sold Mooseridge to us; and that, you must admit, makes a great difference. A bargain is a bargain, Onondago." "Yes, bargain, bargain that good. Good for red-man, good for pale-face no difference what Mohawk sell, he no take back, but let pale-face keep but how come Mohawk and King sell, too? Bot' own land, eh?"
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