Getanittowit, see what has happened to me;See, Getanittowit, the Shawnees have caught me.Great Getanittowit, take pity on me.Getanittowit, tell my people about it;Getanittowit, bring them here to help me.Great Getanittowit, take pity on me.
Getanittowit, see what has happened to me;See, Getanittowit, the Shawnees have caught me.Great Getanittowit, take pity on me.Getanittowit, tell my people about it;Getanittowit, bring them here to help me.Great Getanittowit, take pity on me.
He had barely finished his petition when the Shawnee leader entered the lodge. For some moments he stood before Spotted Deer in silence. He stared steadily into his eyes, and the Delaware met his glance without flinching. Then the Shawnee began to speak.
"Delaware, I have come to tell you that you must die," he said.
He paused to note the effect of his words. Spotted Deer showed no emotion. He waited calmly for the Shawnee to continue. It was some moments before the latter spoke.
"Many bad things will happen to you," he said, finally. "Pretty soon we will see if you are brave enough to go through with it. I do not believe you are brave enough to go through with it. You are a Delaware. When you see what the Shawnees are about to do to you I believe you will cry like a woman. Then our young men will laugh at you."
The Shawnee again paused and looked searchingly at the captive. Spotted Deer smiled scornfully. He showed no inclination to speak. His control amazed his foe. He had expected to rouse him into a violent outburst of temper. He appeared baffled by Spotted Deer's indifference. It annoyed him. His anger showed in his face. Having failed to intimidate the young Delaware, the Shawnee appeared to be in a dilemma. Spotted Deer believed he had entered the lodge to carry out some crafty plan. For some moments he maintained an awkward silence. The Delaware watched closely. He saw a swift, cunning glance flash from the eyes of his foe. At that instant the Shawnee addressed him.
"Well, young man, I see that you are brave," he said, less harshly. "It is good. Perhaps I will help you. But you must do as I tell you. Will you listen to my words?"
"Speak," Spotted Deer said, coldly.
"You are a Delaware," resumed the Shawnee, "Your people are our enemies. Our enemies must die. If I do not help you my people will surely kill you. You are a young man. I believe you are a brave warrior. It would be foolish to throw away your life. I will tell you how you may keep it. You must help me kill the great chief Black Panther. He is——"
"Stop!" Spotted Deer cried, furiously. "I have closed my ears. You speak the tongue of my people, but you talk like a Shawnee. The Shawnees are afraid of our great chief, Black Panther. It is good. They run to their lodges when they hear his voice. You wish to kill him but you are afraid. You ask me to help you. Shawnee, if my hands were loose I would pull you to pieces. I am a Delaware. A Delaware will die for his people. Go, Shawnee dog, and tell your brothers the words of Spotted Deer."
The Shawnee listened in dumbfounded amazement as the enraged young Delaware defied him. As Spotted Deer finished speaking, however, his foe suddenly gave way to passion. Springing wildly upon the helpless captive, the Shawnee began to choke him. Spotted Deer was entirely at his mercy. The Shawnee seemed determined to kill him. He slowly increased the power of his grip, and Spotted Deer began to strangle. The Shawnee laughed fiercely as he stared upon the distorted features of his victim. Then, when the tortured Delaware finally began to lose consciousness, the Shawnee suddenly released him.
"No, I will not kill you," he said. "It would be foolish. I will take you to my people. I will give them your words. Then you will see how the Shawnees kill their enemies."
He watched indifferently until he saw Spotted Deer recovering from the attack, and then he left the lodge. For some time afterward Spotted Deer gasped and choked in his efforts to recover his breath. Then he composed himself to think. He feared that his bold defiance would cost him his life. He believed that the Shawnee had spared him to receive a worse fate from his tribesmen. Spotted Deer knew only too well the sort of vengeance the Shawnees would inflict upon him.
"I am a Delaware—I must be brave," he kept telling himself.
Spotted Deer abandoned hope. It was evident that if his friends came, they would arrive too late to save him. He felt sure that the night would bring his death. He knew that the Shawnees would do their utmost to make him suffer, in the hope of breaking his spirit and making him die a weakling in their eyes. The thought roused his spirit. His eyes flashed excitedly, as he told himself that it was his duty to uphold the honor of his people. The thought fired him with enthusiasm. He resolved to die as the Delawares would wish him to die.
"The Shawnees will see a warrior," he said, proudly.
Then his thoughts turned to Running Fox. The lads had been inseparable companions and Spotted Deer grieved at the thought of leaving him. It was the first peril he had faced without the companionship of his friend. He took comfort, however, in the thought that Running Fox would avenge him. Spotted Deer was entirely familiar with the grim determination and dogged courage of that fiery-tempered young warrior, and he knew that the Shawnees would be made to pay dearly for what they were about to do.
As the long day finally drew toward its end, Spotted Deer heard sounds which confirmed his fears. The village hummed with activity. It was evident that the Shawnees were preparing for some unusual event. He saw the glow from a great fire in the center of the village. The Shawnees were shouting and laughing and singing their war songs. He heard them passing the lodge and calling to him as they went by. Then the robe was lifted from the doorway, and the diabolical old Mystery Woman peered into the lodge. She shook her finger at him and laughed shrilly. Her voice carried a threat of impending disaster, and Spotted Deer was relieved when she passed on. Other Shawnees drew aside the robe and looked into the lodge. Some stared in silence, others cried out threateningly. Then they, too, hurried away.
A few moments afterward Spotted Deer heard some one talking loudly near the center of the camp. The Shawnees had become quiet. When the speaker finished, however, they raised their voices in a wild shout that carried a sinister warning to the helpless young captive. He realized that his ordeal was at hand. There was no way of escape. He was resigned. He turned to Getanittowit, the Great One, for strength to defy his foes and uphold the honor of his people.
O Getanittowit, I am about to die.See, Getanittowit, I am not afraid.Getanittowit, make me strong.Getanittowit, make me brave.Getanittowit, take pity on me.O Getanittowit, help me.
O Getanittowit, I am about to die.See, Getanittowit, I am not afraid.Getanittowit, make me strong.Getanittowit, make me brave.Getanittowit, take pity on me.O Getanittowit, help me.
Soon afterward Spotted Deer heard some one approaching the lodge. He realized that the Shawnees were coming for him. He nerved himself to meet the emergency. The Shawnee leader and another warrior entered the lodge.
"Delaware, we have come to take you to our people," the leader told him. "You must get ready to die."
Spotted Deer showed no emotion. He remained silent as the Shawnees unbound his feet. For some moments, however, he found it difficult to stand. The effort caused him great agony. The Shawnees were impatient. The leader seized him and pushed him forward.
"Come, have we frightened you so that you cannot walk?" he asked, mockingly.
Spotted Deer rallied at the challenge. He staggered unsteadily toward the doorway of the lodge. Fearing a trick, the Shawnees sprang after him. They seized him and led him outside.
The village was brightly illuminated by the glow from a large fire in the center of the camp. About it was gathered a great company of Shawnees. The appearance of the prisoner threw them into a frenzy of excitement. As he was led forward by his guards the Shawnees began to shout and laugh and shake their weapons. They made it plain that he might expect no mercy.
Spotted Deer was bound to a heavy log that had been set up a short distance from the fire. Then the warrior who had interfered in the attack at the edge of the camp came toward him. He was accompanied by the leader of the scouts and several other warriors. The Shawnees suddenly grew quiet as these men approached the captive. The oldest warrior addressed Spotted Deer in the Delaware dialect.
"You are a young man, but you are a Delaware," he said. "The Delawares are our enemies. The Shawnees kill their enemies. You must die. You have spoken big words. Now we will see how brave you are."
He turned and spoke briefly to his tribesmen. A company of warriors came forward and formed a circle about the Delaware. They carried their weapons and were painted for war. The Shawnees greeted them with shouts of approval. For a few moments they stood, glaring fiercely at the prisoner. Then they began to move slowly about the fire, stepping in time with the rhythm of a slow, mournful chant.
It was a weird and fascinating scene: the great fire roaring and crackling and sending its sparks high up into the night; the vast assemblage of Shawnees with their fierce, eager faces, like wolves gathered about a stricken deer; the circle of half-naked warriors moving slowly about their foe in the prelude to the grim ceremony that would follow. And, most interesting of all, the youthful prisoner, bound and helpless, waiting calmly for torture and death at the hands of his enemies.
For some moments the dancers continued their slow, sinister parade about the captive. They made no attempt to attack him, but appeared to be endeavoring to impress him with their grim earnestness. The solemn, dirgelike chant was taken up by the entire company, and Spotted Deer believed that the Shawnees were singing the death song. Then one of the warriors, who seemed to be a leader, suddenly straightened and raised a piercing yell that reverberated wildly through the camp. It broke the solemnity of the ceremony and roused the dancers to action.
A moment afterward they began capering frantically about Spotted Deer, shouting and jeering and flourishing their weapons. The Shawnees urged them on with yells of approval, and the entire assemblage was soon in an uproar. Once aroused, the dancers soon began to threaten and attack their prisoner. They swung their war clubs about his head, aimed their arrows at his heart and made close, dangerous passes with their knives. Some rushed forward and struck him in the face.
Spotted Deer faced the ordeal without a tremor. His heart was filled with a fierce resolve to uphold the traditional courage of his people, and he was determined to remain strong to the end. He waited, therefore, with head erect and eyes flashing, for the punishment which he felt sure would soon be inflicted upon him. The Shawnees appeared to be rousing themselves into a fury. Encouraged by the shouts of the spectators, the dancers had thrown off restraint and abandoned themselves to the mad antics of the war dance. They made every effort to intimidate the unfortunate young warrior who had fallen into their hands. Some rushed toward him and drove their tomahawks into the post close beside him. Others shot their arrows within a hand-width of his body. Several seized him by the scalp-lock and swept their knives about his head. Spotted Deer, however, showed no fear.
Then above the tumult he suddenly heard the shrill, ominous laugh of the villainous old Mystery Woman. A moment afterward she tottered forward into the firelight, and pointed excitedly toward the captive. As she stood revealed in the lurid glow from the flames her appearance was startling. Her frail, bowed form was covered with an old deerskin robe. Her white, unkempt hair fell loosely about her shoulders. Her aged features were distorted in a fiendish grin, and her small, ferretlike eyes glowed threateningly from their deep cavities beneath her shaggy brows. She looked like an evil demon whom the fire had drawn from concealment in the black depths of the night. The Shawnees watched her in silent, superstitious awe. Spotted Deer felt his courage falter as the fearsome old creature confronted him.
In a few moments she turned and addressed the four warriors who stood apart from the rest of the Shawnees. As they made no attempt to stop her, Spotted Deer believed that they were eager to hear her words. He had little doubt that she was talking against him. When she finally finished her excited harangue, one of the warriors called to the dancers. They immediately ceased their exertions and stood quietly in their places. Then the warrior whom Spotted Deer believed to be the Shawnee chief made a brief talk. The Shawnees seemed to approve his words.
In a few moments Spotted Deer saw preparations which enabled him to guess the sort of punishment which the Mystery Woman had suggested for him. The great company of Shawnees suddenly broke up, and the women and old men and some of the boys hurried to the lodges. The old Mystery Woman hobbled away, cackling gleefully. It was not long before Spotted Deer saw his suspicions confirmed. Those who had disappeared were returning with sticks and stout willow switches and small whips with rawhide lashes. They were laughing and calling out in joyful anticipation of their attack upon the prisoner. Behind them followed the Mystery Woman. She, too, carried a willow wand and Spotted Deer felt sure she would make savage use of it.
In the meantime the warriors jeered and threatened but made no further attempts to injure him. Spotted Deer believed they were restrained by the man whom he took for the war chief. The latter called out sharply whenever one of the younger warriors showed an inclination to attack the captive, and each time his command was obeyed. Spotted Deer realized, however, that the respite was only temporary. He believed that his foes were simply delaying his torture and death to give the fierce old Mystery Woman an opportunity for vengeance.
The women and old men and boys had formed in two long lines about two bow-lengths apart. They were singing and shouting and shaking their sticks at the captive. Then a warrior freed Spotted Deer from the stake. A moment afterward he was led forward to receive his punishment. Spotted Deer realized exactly what was about to happen. He knew that he would be compelled to make his way along the narrow lane between his foes who would beat him as he passed. As his arms were bound behind him he was powerless to defend himself against the attack. He realized that he might lessen his punishment by dashing wildly along the course, but his spirit rebelled at the thought. He feared that the maneuver would make him appear frightened and weak in the eyes of his foes.
"Delaware, run!" cried the Shawnee leader, as he pushed Spotted Deer between the lines of excited Shawnees.
Spotted Deer ignored the command. For an instant only he hesitated while he looked calmly along the rows of fierce, eager faces. One in particular stood out in contrast with the others. It was the evil, grinning face of the old Mystery Woman who stood at the end of the line. As Spotted Deer began the perilous journey between the lines, he heard her shrill, harsh voice rising threateningly above the tumult.
The Shawnees were astounded when the Delaware started forward at a slow walk. For an instant the unexpected maneuver baffled and confused them. They wondered if fear had suddenly driven the power from his limbs. Having expected him to make a wild dash for the end of the lines they could think of nothing but fright as the reason for his strange action. They began to laugh and jeer as they struck him about the head and shoulders with their whips.
"Come, come, make the frightened Delaware run!" they cried.
Then they suddenly realized the significance of his conduct. They saw that the Delaware was defying them. The realization drove them into a fury. Weak and aged arms grew strong with emotion, and Spotted Deer staggered beneath the violence of the attack. Some of the women jabbed viciously at his eyes with their sticks. Some of the infuriated old men kicked savagely at his legs. The boys beat him with their fists. All struck him about the face and head with their sticks. By the time he had covered half of the course he was suffering from many cuts and bruises. It was evident that unless he hastened, he was threatened with serious injury or even death. Still he refused to save himself by running. He preferred to die rather than give the Shawnees an opportunity to boast that a Delaware had run from their women and old men.
When Spotted Deer finally reached the end of the course, he was attacked by the Mystery Woman. Throwing away her stick, she rushed upon him and thumped him about the body with her fists. Her frail old arms lacked strength, and her blows did little damage. Then, as several warriors seized the Delaware and prepared to take him away, the Mystery Woman drew a knife from her belt and attempted to reach the captive. The Shawnees intercepted her and led Spotted Deer away.
He was greatly surprised when they took him to the lodge instead of the stake. The Shawnees followed close behind him, shouting wildly and threatening to overwhelm his guards and put him to death. He reached the lodge in safety, however, and was pushed through the doorway. Then he heard the warrior who seemed to be the chief talking to the people. Was he attempting to pacify them? Spotted Deer listened anxiously. He heard the Shawnees moving away. He believed that for the moment at least he was safe.
When the Shawnees had dispersed, two warriors entered the lodge. They bound Spotted Deer's ankles, and then they seated themselves near the doorway. Spotted Deer believed they intended to remain on guard through the balance of the night. For some time he heard them talking. Then they became quiet. He wondered if they had gone out. The fire in the camp had died down. The lodge was dark. He was unable to see them. He listened anxiously to learn what he wished to know. Then, as he heard nothing to indicate that the guards were still in the lodge, he relaxed upon the platform of poles and tried to sleep. It was useless. He had been severely beaten by the Shawnees, and his face and head ached and throbbed from the cuts and bruises. The lodge was cold and drafty, and as he was without a robe he began to shiver violently. Each moment increased his discomfort, and he wondered if the Shawnees had spared him to prolong his agony. At last, however, exhaustion brought relief and he fell into a light, restless slumber.
Then he suddenly awakened and sat up to listen. He heard soft, stealthy footfalls near the doorway. The lodge was dimly lighted by a narrow streak of moonlight that had entered through the smoke hole in the roof. Spotted Deer watched closely. In a few moments he saw some one enter the lodge. Then as the huddled figure hobbled toward him, he recognized the bowed form of the Mystery Woman. The discovery filled him with superstitious fear. He believed she had come to kill him. As she came closer he saw that she carried a bowl. He wondered if it contained a strange medicine potion. Perhaps she planned to cast some evil spell upon him. The thought was alarming.
The Mystery Woman came directly to him. For a moment or so she stared wildly into his face. Then she spoke. Spotted Deer could scarcely believe what he heard. She was addressing him in the Delaware tongue.
"My son, do not be afraid, I have come to help you," she said.
For some moments Spotted Deer looked at her in astonishment. Then he recovered himself and sought to conceal his emotion. Her words had made him suspicious. He recalled the deceitful offer of the Shawnee leader. He feared that she, too, was attempting to deceive him with some clever bit of treachery. Perhaps she hoped to gain information about his people. He determined to be on his guard.
In the meantime the Mystery Woman was watching him closely. Her face betrayed impatience. It was evident that his silence annoyed her.
"Have you no tongue?" she asked, sharply.
Spotted Deer still remained silent. He believed that he was confronted by a crafty and dangerous foe, and he realized that he must be cautious. His inherited dread of the strange Medicine People made him doubly suspicious of the mysterious old creature who addressed him.
"You say you are a Delaware," she said, angrily. "I have spoken Delaware words. I see that you do not know them. I do not believe you are a Delaware."
There was something in her tone that conveyed a warning. Spotted Deer suddenly realized that it might be fatal to rouse her anger. He believed that it would be wise to hear what she wished to say. He decided to speak.
"A Delaware keeps his words for his friends," he said.
"Hi, now I see that you are one of my people," the old woman whispered, excitedly.
Spotted Deer started at her words. For an instant they filled him with hope. Then he realized that the wily old Mystery Woman was attempting to deceive him and quiet his suspicions. He determined to match wits with her.
"You are a Shawnee," he said, contemptuously.
She went close and glared fiercely into his face. Her expression startled him. Her features were quivering with emotion. Hate blazed from her eyes. Her breath came in quick, sobbing gasps. She seemed to be struggling against the impulse to kill him. It was some time before she could speak.
"Those are bad words," she said, savagely. "I will shake them from my ears. I have come here to help you. There is little time. You must believe what I am about to tell you. Listen, my son, to the words of a Delaware."
Spotted Deer was impressed. There was an earnestness in her tone that was convincing. Impulse urged him to believe her. Caution, however, kept him suspicious. He still feared treachery.
"I will listen," he told her.
"It is good," declared the Mystery Woman. "Now I will try to help you."
She placed the bowl beside him and moved to the front of the lodge. She drew aside the robe and peered outside. In a few moments she returned to Spotted Deer.
"There is no one there," she told him. "The camp is still. Now I am going to do something good for you."
"If you are a Delaware, untie me and let me get away," said Spotted Deer.
"No, no, that would be foolish," she declared. "If I untie you perhaps some one will come in and find out about it. Then both of us will be killed. Anyway you could not get away. The Shawnees are afraid that your people are coming to help you. Scouts are watching around the edge of the camp."
Spotted Deer continued silent. He was unable to decide whether the old Mystery Woman was telling the truth or simply attempting to win his confidence. In either event he was eager to learn her plans. She had seated herself beside him, and was dipping a piece of buckskin in the bowl. Spotted Deer watched her with considerable uneasiness. Then as she began to bathe his face and head, his suspicions suddenly vanished and a great hope entered his heart.
"Come, old woman, if you are a Delaware tell me where you came from," he said, eagerly.
"I am a Minsi," she said, quietly.
"Those people are my brothers," he told her. "I have been to their village. Your words are good. Tell me something more."
"Have you seen the great chief Big Hawk, and Black Rabbit the mysterious Medicine Person?" she asked.
"Yes, yes, I have talked with those people," Spotted Deer assured her, excitedly.
"Have you seen the great rock that stands behind the village? Have you heard how Leaping Dog killed four bears?"
"Yes, yes, I know about those things," said Spotted Deer.
"Well, then, I will tell you that I am White Crane. Leaping Dog was my father."
"Woman, I believe your words," Spotted Deer told her. "Now I know that you are a Delaware. Tell me how you come to be here."
"I cannot give you many words," she told him. "The night is almost gone. Pretty soon the Shawnees will begin to move around. If they find me here it will be bad. I will talk fast. You must listen sharp."
"Friend, my ears are open," said Spotted Deer.
"My son, a long time ago I went into the hills with my mother to pick berries. We were quite a ways from our village. While we were picking berries we heard a great shout behind us. Then my mother seized me and began to run. We saw some warriors chasing us. Pretty soon they came up with us. I was frightened and I began to cry. One of those warriors seized me. My poor mother drew a small knife and plunged it into him. Then one of his friends knocked her on the head with his war club and she fell into the bushes. I never saw her again.
"Those warriors took me a long ways. We traveled many days. I got very tired but I kept going. I did not know those people but I hated them because they had killed my mother. Well, my son, one night when they were sleeping I crawled away. The woods were very black and I was afraid, but I kept going. After a long time I heard a dog barking. That frightened me. I did not know what to do. Then I said, 'Perhaps there is a village over there. Perhaps some good people live there. Perhaps they will take pity on me and give me something to eat and a place to sleep in.'
"I went that way. Pretty soon I saw some lodges. I was greatly frightened. My legs began to shake. I listened sharp. I did not hear any one. Then I went nearer. Pretty soon I entered the village. It was dark and still. I kept very quiet. Then I saw some little red lights from a fire. I went over and sat down in that place.
"When the light came, an old woman came out of a lodge and saw me. She began to talk very fast, but I did not know her words. Then she called her people. They came running from the lodges. When they saw me sitting by the fire, they did not know what to make of it. They were shaking their heads and talking and pointing toward the sky. Then I knew that they took me for a Medicine Person. It made me feel good. I knew they would not harm me.
"My son, that is how I came here. I have been here a long, long time. Now I am an old woman. I have never talked our tongue. The Shawnees have never harmed me. They call me the Mystery Woman. They listen to my words. Getanittowit has helped me. I have done some big things. Perhaps I can save you."
"Who were those people who carried you away?" inquired Spotted Deer.
"I believe they were Mohawks," she told him. "I know those people came into our country before this thing happened to me."
As she ceased speaking, they heard something moving outside the lodge. They listened in breathless suspense. Then the old woman seized the bowl and hurried toward the door. Spotted Deer saw her draw aside the robe. He believed she was listening. Long, anxious moments passed. He wondered if she had left him. Then he saw her. She was crouching in the doorway. In a few moments she rose and came to him.
"It was a dog," she said.
Spotted Deer nodded understandingly.
"It is almost light," she told him. "Pretty soon I must go away. But first I must tell you something. My son, when I saw you I asked about you. When I heard that you were a Delaware, my heart grew big for you. Then I fooled the Shawnees. You saw what I did. It was the only way to save you. They believe I wish to kill you. It is good. They will listen to my words. I will try to save you. It will be a hard thing to do.
"Now I will tell you about it. The warrior who brought you here is Walking Bear. He is a great war leader. He is very mad at your people. He says the great chief Black Panther killed his brother. He says that he has killed many Delawares. He says that you must die. That old man who talked to you is Howling Wolf. He is a great Medicine Person. Now you know about those people."
"Who is the chief?" Spotted Deer asked, eagerly.
"Big Dog is the chief."
"Where is he?"
"He is away on the hunt. That is why the Shawnees did not kill you. I told them Red Dog would be very mad about it. I told them they must wait until he comes. They listened to my words. That is how you come to be alive. But, my son, the Shawnees will surely kill you when Big Dog comes back."
"When will he come?" inquired Spotted Deer.
"Before three suns pass," the Mystery Woman said, solemnly. "If I do not get you away before that time you must prepare to die. I will try hard to save you. No matter what I do you must know that I am trying to help you. Now I am going away."
"You are a good friend," Spotted Deer said, gratefully. "If I get away I will take you to your people.".
"No, no, you must not try to do that," she told him. "It would be useless. I am old and feeble. I cannot travel. I would hold you back. The Shawnees would catch us. You must go alone. I will stay here and die in the Shawnee village. If you get away you can tell my people about me."
A moment later she hurried from the lodge. Spotted Deer realized that he had found a crafty ally. He wondered if she would be able to save him. He feared to hope. He knew that the Shawnee chief might return at any moment, and then the Mystery Woman would be powerless.
The long, silent night was slowly merging into dawn when the Delawares were suddenly awakened by a piercing shout from the center of the camp. Thoroughly alarmed, they rushed from the lodges, weapons in hand, expecting to find themselves beset by foes. Instead they found Dancing Owl, a young warrior who had left the village the previous day to hunt.
"Well, young man, what has happened?" inquired Black Panther, the famous Delaware war chief.
"The Mohawks are on the river," Dancing Owl told him.
The announcement threw the Delawares into a frenzy of excitement. They feared that their fierce foes from the north were about to attack the village.
"Where are they?" Black Panther asked, anxiously.
"I saw them a sun's travel up the river," declared Dancing Owl.
The Delawares felt relieved. They realized that there was at least time to prepare for defense. They crowded eagerly about Dancing Owl and began to question him. Then Black Panther asked them to assemble at the council lodge to hear the words of Dancing Owl.
"Come, Dancing Owl, tell us about this thing," said Black Panther, when they had seated themselves.
"Well, my friends, I hunted hard but I did not kill any game," said Dancing Owl. "I kept going along the river until it got dark. Then I sat down to rest. Pretty soon I heard the cry of fierce Nianque, the lynx. I listened sharp. After a long time I heard it again. It was up the river. I went ahead. I went a long ways. Then I saw a great light. I heard some one shouting. That made me cautious. I waited a long time. Then I heard some more shouts. Then I went ahead very slow. I kept looking ahead. Pretty soon I saw two big fires. There was one on each side of the river. Then I stopped. I did not know what to make of it. I kept watching. Pretty soon I saw some warriors moving around one of those fires. They were on the other side of the river. They were far off. I could not tell about them. Then they went away. Pretty soon some of them came back. They knocked away the fire. Then I could not see them.
"Well, my friends, I kept watching. I said, 'Those people will cross the water and knock away the other fire. I will creep up close and see who they are.' Then I went ahead. I was very cautious. The fire kept burning. I was looking for those people on the water. I did not see them. Then I heard Woakus, the fox. It was close ahead of me. It did not sound good. I listened sharp. Pretty soon I heard it again. Then I said, 'Some one is making that noise.' I kept watching the fire. It made a big light. I kept around the edge of it. Then I heard some one moving in the bushes. He was close. I got ready to fight. Then I saw that person at the edge of the light. He was a Mohawk. Then he went away.
"I watched a long time. Then I heard the call of Gokhos, the owl. It was the call of the big night bird with the ears. I knew it was the Mohawks. It was on the other side of the water. Pretty soon I heard it again. It was on the side of the water where I was. I kept watching. The fire was going down. The light closed up. I went nearer. I heard some people talking. Pretty soon I saw five canoes. They came across the water. I saw two Mohawks in every one of those canoes. Then I saw another canoe. It was near the edge of the woods. Pretty soon two Mohawks got into it. Then they all paddled up the river. I waited a long time. Then the fire died out. I heard a great shout. I was far up the river. I knew it was the Mohawks. Then I hurried away and came here. Now I have told you all I know about it."
The Delawares remained silent for some moments after Dancing Owl had finished his story. It baffled them. They were at a loss to account for such unusual recklessness on the part of the Mohawks. They could scarcely believe that those crafty foes would dare to proclaim their presence so near the Delaware camp. They could think of no reason for the two great fires along the river. They feared it was part of some clever stratagem.
"Dancing Owl, I have listened to your words," Black Panther said, finally. "This thing is mysterious. I cannot tell what to make of it. Now I am going to ask you something."
"I am listening," Dancing Owl told him.
"You came back along the river," said Black Panther. "Your eyes are sharp. Did you see anything?"
"No, I did not find any signs," declared Dancing Owl. "I kept watching for the Mohawks but I did not see them. I believe they went the other way."
"Well, my friends, I cannot tell what to make of it," acknowledged Black Panther. "Only a foolish person makes a big fire to tell his enemies where to find him. The Mohawks are not foolish. They are as sly as Woakus, the fox. I cannot tell why they made those big fires. It is mysterious. I believe something bad will come of it. Come, Sky Dog, you are a great Medicine Person, perhaps you can tell us about it."
Sky Dog, the aged Delaware Medicine Man, rose to his feet in obedience to the command of his chief. He was a picturesque figure as he stood in the center of the great circle of Delawares who were looking questioningly into his face. He had wrapped himself in a heavy wolf-skin robe for protection from the sharp autumn air, and his white hair showed beneath the edges of a great beaver-skin cap. For some moments he faced his tribesmen in silence. Then he began to speak.
"My people, you have heard the words of Dancing Owl," he said. "This thing he tells about is mysterious. I cannot make anything of those great fires. I will go away and think about it. Then perhaps I will tell you something."
It was evident that the Delawares were disappointed. They had implicit faith in the ability of the old Medicine Man, and they had hoped that he would be able to tell them the significance of the fires. However, as he, too, seemed perplexed and bewildered by the audacity of the Mohawks, the Delawares saw little chance of arriving at an early solution of the mystery.
"My brothers, as we do not know why the Mohawks did this thing, and there is no use of talking about it like a lot of foolish old women," Black Panther told them. "We know that the Mohawks were close to our village. Dancing Owl saw them. He says those Mohawks went up the river. Perhaps they will come back. We must keep a sharp watch. I believe they are trying to fool us. Perhaps they are scouts. Perhaps there is a big war party hiding in the woods. Perhaps the scouts made those fires to draw our warriors up the river. Then it would be easy for the war party to get into the camp. We must be cautious."
His words raised the suspicions of his tribesmen. They believed he had guessed the plans of their foes. The idea roused them. They began to discuss the possibilities. Some of the younger and more impulsive warriors were eager to organize a war party and go out to search the woods. Most of the older men counseled against it.
"No, it would be foolish to do that until we know about this thing," said Yellow Wolf, a famous veteran of the war trail. "We must send out scouts to find out if the Mohawks are in the woods. Then we will know what to do."
"Yes, yes, that is the best thing to do," the Delawares told one another.
There was one, however, who took no part in the discussion. He was Running Fox, the son of Black Panther, and the most famous of all the Delaware warriors. Although but a youth, his daring exploits had made him the idol of his people. Two years previous, accompanied by his friend Spotted Deer, he had gone to the Mohawk camp and successfully escaped with the great Mohawk medicine trophy. When the famous Mohawk chief, Standing Wolf, led a great war company into the Delaware village to recapture the token, Running Fox killed him, and drove the Mohawks from the camp. The following year, he and Spotted Deer journeyed into the north and killed the mysterious White Wolf, which the Delawares believed brought famine and pestilence upon them. That achievement convinced the Delawares that Running Fox had received the mysterious powers of a Medicine Person. In spite of his youth, therefore, they looked upon him as one able to lead and counsel, and they were eager for his opinion concerning the Mohawks and their fires.
"Running Fox, Running Fox!" they cried.
Running Fox rose in response to their cries. He was tall and sinewy, with an alert face and bold, flashing eyes. He possessed the quiet, forceful dignity of his father, and the Delawares looked upon him with pride and affection.
"My friends, you have asked me to talk to you," said Running Fox. "I have listened to the words of Dancing Owl. I do not believe we are in any danger. I do not believe those Mohawks will come any closer. I do not know what to make of those great fires. I am not thinking about them. I am thinking about my brother, Spotted Deer. I believe he is in great danger. My heart is heavy. Perhaps those Mohawks have carried him away. Perhaps they have killed him. It is bad. I do not like to talk about it."
As Running Fox finished speaking a gloomy silence fell upon the Delawares. His words had carried an ominous warning. The Delawares suddenly realized the peril which threatened Spotted Deer. He had left the village some days previous on a hunting expedition to a lake several day's journey to the northward where he hoped to kill a bear. He had expected to return at the end of six days. The seventh day had just dawned. Spotted Deer had failed to arrive. The Mohawks were on the river. Startling possibilities flashed into the minds of the Delawares.
"My son, what you say is true," declared Black Panther. "I believe Spotted Deer is in danger. He has not come back. It is bad. If he does not come before this sun passes, we must go to find him."
"My father, I will not wait," Running Fox told him. "Spotted Deer is my friend. We have done many big things together. If the Mohawks have caught him it would be foolish to wait. We must come up with them before they reach their village. If they take him to the camp he will surely be killed. I am going to find him."
"Yes, yes, it is the best thing to do," agreed old Sky Dog, the Medicine Man. "I saw this thing in a dream. I did not wish to talk about it. Now I see what it meant. You must go, Running Fox. Do not lose any time. Keep going until you come in sight of the Mohawks. I believe you will find Spotted Deer."
Running Fox was immediately besieged by a host of eager volunteers who wished to accompany him. Most of the active warriors of the tribe desired to go. He found it hard to refuse them, for all wished to prove their loyalty for Spotted Deer. Running Fox realized, however, that a large company would be less likely to succeed than a few picked scouts moving swiftly on the trail.
"My friends, I see that you all wish to help Spotted Deer," he said. "It is good. It makes me feel big. But I must tell you that it would be foolish. Perhaps what Black Panther says is true. Perhaps many Mohawks are hiding in the woods. Most of you must stay behind to guard the village. A few of us will go to find Spotted Deer. I will be the leader. I will ask Dancing Owl, and Yellow Wolf, and Painted Hawk, and Crooked Foot, and Turning Eagle to go with me. It is enough. Now, my friends, go to your lodges and get ready to go away."
"Wait!" shouted old Sky Dog. "You are going into great danger. If I do not help you, something bad may happen. You must all come to my lodge, and I will make a smoke to Getanittowit and ask him to help you."
"It is good," said Running Fox.
When the six scouts who were going to search for Spotted Deer assembled at the lodge of Sky Dog they found the old Medicine Man seated beside a small fire. He was tossing handfuls of dried sweet grass upon the embers, and droning a medicine song. For some moments he took no notice of the little company of warriors who stood at the entrance to the lodge, waiting for an invitation to enter. At last he looked up and saw them.
"Come in," he said, curtly. "Sit down here in front of me. No, no, do not come so close. Move back. There, that is good."
When they had obeyed his instructions he resumed the ceremony which they had interrupted. They watched with solemn interest while he continued to toss sweet grass upon the fire and chant the medicine song.
Getanittowit, here is sweet smoke for you.I am making it to please you.Getanittowit, I hope you will feel good about it.Great Getanittowit, I hope you will help me.
Getanittowit, here is sweet smoke for you.I am making it to please you.Getanittowit, I hope you will feel good about it.Great Getanittowit, I hope you will help me.
In a few moments Sky Dog rose and took the sacred medicine pipe from a tripod of poles at the rear of the lodge. He unwrapped it with great care and brought it to the fire. He filled the bowl with the inner bark of the red willow and lighted it with an ember. He puffed smoke toward the sky, the abode of Great Getanittowit; toward the earth, the abode of the mysterious Underneath People; toward the north, the east, the south and the west, the abodes of the Wind Makers. Then he puffed smoke over the six scouts. Then for many moments he sat with his eyes closed.
The scouts were much impressed. They believed that Sky Dog was counseling with the mysterious Medicine Beings. They watched him with superstitious fascination, fearing to speak or even move lest they might break the spell and incur the displeasure of Sky Dog and the powerful Medicine People.
Running Fox, however, was impatient. He realized that each moment was precious, and he was eager to be away on the trail of the Mohawks. His great fear was that they might reach their village before he could overtake them. He knew only too well the fate that awaited Spotted Deer in the Mohawk camp. He was greatly relieved when Sky Dog finally opened his eyes and spoke.
"My brothers, I will help you," he said. "I have talked with the mysterious Medicine People. It is good. I believe you will find Spotted Deer. I have asked the Medicine People to make you strong against the Mohawks."
He rose and went to the back of the lodge. In a few moments he returned with a buckskin thong to which was tied a small charm or token. He fastened it about the neck of Running Fox.
"Running Fox, I am giving this to you because you are the leader," he said. "It is the claw of the mysterious Medicine Beaver. It will make you brave. It will keep you strong. It will make you safe against your enemies. Now, my friends, you must go. When you have gone I will do some other things to help you. I believe you will do what you are setting out to do. I have spoken."
"Sky Dog, we have seen you talking with the mysterious Medicine People," Running Fox told him. "You have asked them to help us. It is good. It makes us feel strong. You have fastened this Medicine Thing around my neck. You say it will help me. I will keep it. Now we are going to find our brother Spotted Deer."
They immediately left the lodge. As they appeared in the village they were surrounded by a great company of friends who were eager to warn and advise. Running Fox refused to loiter.
"My friends, we cannot stop here to talk," he told them. "If the Mohawks have carried off Spotted Deer we must travel fast to come up with them. There is little time. We must go."
A few moments later they left the village and went to the river. Then Running Fox explained his plans.
"My brothers, you heard the words of Black Panther," he said. "Perhaps there are many Mohawks hiding in the woods. We must be cautious. It would be foolish to take canoes. The Mohawks would surely see us. We must travel on foot. There is only one way to do this thing. Some of us must travel along the other side of the river. Some of us must go along this side. Then perhaps we will find some signs of Spotted Deer."
"It is good," agreed Yellow Wolf.
"I will ask Painted Hawk, and Turning Eagle and Crooked Foot to go across the river," said Running Fox. "I will ask Yellow Wolf and Dancing Owl to stay on this side with me. Now, my friends, you must listen sharp to what I am about to tell you. In the day we will talk to each other with the call of Woakus, the fox. When it grows dark we will use the voice of Gokhos, the owl. If you make one call we will know where you are. If you make three calls we will know you have found signs of Spotted Deer. If you make the call end in the middle we will know you are in danger. If you hear us make those calls you will know about it. Come, we will go."
"Who will take us across the river?" inquired Painted Hawk.
A number of volunteers offered to paddle the scouts across the water. When they were half-way across the river, Running Fox and his companions disappeared into the woods.
"We must travel fast," said Running Fox.
It was a notable company. Dancing Owl and Turning Eagle were young warriors about the age of Running Fox. Both were noted for their courage and ability. Dancing Owl had killed a number of Mohawks and had been captured by the Shawnees. Turning Eagle was a famous scout. Yellow Wolf and Painted Hawk and Crooked Foot were seasoned veterans of the war trail. Each was the hero of many thrilling exploits. Running Fox had great confidence in the warriors whom he had chosen to accompany him. He believed that once on the trail of Spotted Deer, they would follow it into the Mohawk camp if it became necessary.
Running Fox led the way along a familiar trail that followed the river toward the north. His anxiety for his friend made him impatient, and he traveled at an exhausting pace. Dancing Owl and Yellow Wolf kept close behind him. At midday they found themselves a considerable distance from the Delaware village. Then they became more cautious.
"Now we must watch sharp," said Running Fox.
Aware that at any moment they might encounter a Mohawk war party, they kept their eyes and ears alert to discover the slightest hint of danger. Their caution seemed useless, for they saw nothing to arouse their suspicions.
"Those Mohawks must have gone up the river," declared Dancing Owl.
Running Fox remained silent. He found little comfort in the words of Dancing Owl. His mind was filled with gloomy premonitions concerning Spotted Deer. For the moment the fate of his friend was all that interested him. If the Mohawks had withdrawn from the Delaware hunting grounds he feared that they had taken Spotted Deer with them. Running Fox grew weak at the thought. It roused him to still greater efforts, and he almost ran along the trail in his eagerness to overtake his foes.
At dark the Delawares stopped to rest. Then Running Fox attempted to locate his tribesmen on the other side of the river. Approaching close to the water, he gave the cry of Gokhos, the owl. They listened anxiously as it echoed through the woods. Many moments passed. There was no response.
"Our brothers are far behind," said Running Fox.
The thought disturbed him. He had planned to continue traveling through the night in the hope of gaining upon the Mohawks. Still he disliked to go ahead without hearing from the scouts on the other side of the river. He waited impatiently. Then he repeated the signal. Again it failed to bring an answer. Running Fox grew uneasy.
"It is mysterious," he told Yellow Wolf. "I do not know what to make of it. Perhaps something bad has happened to our friends. Perhaps the Mohawks were hiding over there."
"No, I do not believe anything has happened to our brothers," Yellow Wolf told him. "We came here very fast. We followed a trail. Our friends could not come so fast. It is hard going on the other side of the river. They fell behind. I believe they will come."
"Well, Yellow Wolf, I see that what you say may be true," said Running Fox.
Then for some moments he remained silent. His mind was filled with disturbing possibilities. He found it difficult to come to a decision. He realized that each moment of delay lessened his chance of overtaking the Mohawks. Still he wished to know what had happened to his friends. It seemed foolish to go ahead until he heard from them. It was possible that they might have encountered the Mohawks, or found Spotted Deer or some signs of him. Running Fox finally determined to wait.
The three scouts had barely seated themselves at the edge of the woods when they heard the call of Gokhos a short distance farther down the river. Their spirits rose at the sound, for they realized that their friends were safe.
"Our brothers have come," said Dancing Owl.
"It is good," Running Fox replied, with much relief.
A moment afterward he replied to the signal There was no answer. He had not expected any. Having located him he knew that his tribesmen would continue along the river in silence. Too many signals might arouse the suspicions of any foes who might be loitering in the vicinity.
"Come, my brothers, we will go ahead," said Running Fox. "When our friends come they will make the signal. When they do not hear anything they will know that we have gone. Then they will go ahead. We will keep going until we get to the place where the big fires were. Then we will stop and rest. When it gets light we will look around."
Running Fox again led the way at a breakneck pace. The trail led through a dense black forest of towering pines and hemlocks, and the Delawares were unable to see a bow-length before them. In spite of the darkness, however, they had little difficulty in keeping the trail. They followed its narrow winding course with the speed and certainty of Timmeau, the wolf. Day was close at hand when they finally approached the spot where Dancing Owl had discovered the Mohawks.
"We are coming to the place where I saw those fires," he said.
"Now you must go ahead," Running Fox told him.
Dancing Owl took the lead. They realized that they might be blundering into a trap, and they were as alert and cautious as Woakus, the fox. Mauwallauwin, the great Hunting Moon, shed his light upon the river, and they kept a sharp watch for canoes. It was not long before Dancing Owl stopped and pointed toward the water.
"See, there is the place where I saw the fire," he said.
They stood at the edge of the woods and looked upon a wide, open stretch of beach that intervened between the water and the forest. The place which Dancing Owl had indicated was several arrow-flights farther along the river. He was eager to approach it, but Running Fox counseled caution.
"Wait," he said. "Perhaps there is some one there. We will watch and listen."
"Your words are good," declared Yellow Wolf.
They waited some time, and then as they discovered nothing to arouse their fears they moved noiselessly toward the place where the fire had burned. They had gone less than a bow-shot, however, when Dancing Owl suddenly collided with a great black form that rose from the trail. There was an angry snarl, and two fierce eyes blazed from the darkness.
"Machque!" cried Dancing Owl, as he sprang back and shot his arrow.
A savage roar sounded through the night as the bear charged upon the astounded Delawares. It struck down Dancing Owl and then rushed at Running Fox. He shot his arrow and dodged nimbly around a tree. The next instant the enraged bear confronted Yellow Wolf. He, too, drove his arrow into it, and sprang from its path. Then it crashed away into the darkness. For some moments they heard it floundering noisily through the undergrowth, and then the sounds ceased.
"Hi, Machque is mad," laughed Running Fox, as he came from behind the tree.
"I thought he was a Mohawk," said Dancing Owl.
"Did he tear you?" Yellow Wolf asked, anxiously.
"No," replied Dancing Owl. "He tried to strike me but I jumped away. Then he bumped into me and I fell down."
"Well, we all shot arrows into him," said Yellow Wolf. "I believe he went over there and fell down dead."
"Come, we will go over there and find out about it," Dancing Owl proposed, impulsively.
"No, no, that would be foolish," Running Fox told him. "Machque is sly. Perhaps he has gone away. Perhaps he is waiting to fool us. It is black under those big trees. We cannot see him. Perhaps he would kill us. I am not afraid but we have set out to find Spotted Deer. If we let Machque tear us we cannot help our brother. It will soon be light. Then we will find Machque."
"Yes, Running Fox, I see that it is the best thing to do," agreed Dancing Owl.
"We must watch sharp. Perhaps Machque will come back," said Yellow Wolf.
"Yes, we will keep quiet and watch," Running Fox told him.
They seated themselves at the edge of the timber to wait for daylight. Dancing Owl was almost exhausted. Having traveled at top speed to reach the Delaware camp with news of the Mohawks, the return journey had been a severe test of his courage and endurance. He lay upon the ground and immediately fell into a heavy slumber. His comrades remained awake to watch.
At dawn Running Fox and his companions made their way to the edge of the timber and looked anxiously along the river. A short bow-shot away they saw the charred logs and ashes from the fire. Then they looked across the water and saw the remnants from the other fire. For the moment, however, the Delawares took little interest. Their first thought was to look for the Mohawks. They watched some time, but saw nothing to indicate that their foes had loitered in the vicinity. Still, Running Fox determined to take every precaution.
"I believe the Mohawks have gone away," he said, finally. "But we must not feel too sure about it. Perhaps they are hiding in the woods. Dancing Owl, you must keep watching. Come, Yellow Wolf, we will look for Machque. I believe he is close by. If we find him we will get back our arrows."
"It is good," said Yellow Wolf.
They left Dancing Owl concealed at the edge of the forest, and went to search for the bear. The trail was plain and easy to follow and red splashes on the leaves gave evidence that Machque had been badly wounded. They had little doubt that he was already dead. Still they resolved to take no chances, for they knew that if Machque was alive he might prove to be a dangerous foe. They advanced with great caution, watching closely for a sight of the bear. Then, within an arrow-flight, the trail suddenly came to an end at a great tangle of brush and fallen timber.
"Look sharp," Running Fox cautioned. "Machque is in there."
They stopped and peered anxiously into the cover. It was dense and as twilight still lingered beneath the heavy stand of evergreens they were unable to discover the bear. Several times they thought they saw it, but they were deceived by stumps and shadows. They listened a long time, but heard nothing to give them a clew.
"If Machque is in there, he must be dead," Yellow Wolf said, at last.
"Perhaps he crawled through that place and went out on the other side," Running Fox told him. "We will circle around and find out about it."
"It is the best thing to do," said Yellow Wolf.
They separated and began to move cautiously around the tangle. They had taken only a few strides when they heard low, ominous growls coming from beneath a confused mass of roots and brush. They stopped and prepared to fight.
"Look sharp, Machque is coming out!" Running Fox cried, warningly.
A moment afterward there was a sharp crackling of sticks and the wounded bear forced its way through the tangle. It emerged within a bow-length of Yellow Wolf. At sight of him it reared unsteadily upon its hind legs, and Yellow Wolf drove his arrow into its chest. Roaring furiously, the bear dropped to its feet and turned to enter the cover. Yellow Wolf ran close up to it and drove another arrow behind its shoulder. Machque flashed about with the agility of a lynx and rushed wildly upon his foe. Yellow Wolf turned to run but tripped over a log and plunged headlong into the brush. At that moment Running Fox rushed recklessly upon the bear and struck it with his tomahawk, Machque wheeled to attack him, and then Yellow Wolf jumped to his feet and shot an arrow. The bear collapsed. For some moments it continued to struggle, and then it lay still. The Delawares looked at each other and smiled.
"Machque is dead," said Yellow Wolf. "He was very strong and very fierce. Running Fox, you were brave. You kept Machque from tearing me. I will tell our people about it."
Having killed the bear, they had little inclination to loiter. They left Machque where he had fallen and turned toward the river. They found Dancing Owl staring anxiously across the water. He heard them approaching and motioned for them to be cautious. Then he pointed mysteriously across the river. Running Fox and Yellow Wolf feared to move. For some moments they stood motionless, searching the opposite shore. Then Dancing Owl signaled for them to advance. They sank to their hands and knees and crawled carefully through the undergrowth.
"What do you see?" Running Fox inquired in a cautious whisper.
"I saw something moving through the bushes," Dancing Owl told him. "I do not know what it is."
"Where was it?" asked Yellow Wolf.
"Over there near that white tree," said Dancing Owl.
They fixed their eyes on a large white birch at the edge of the woods. It was close by the place where the fire had been. They wondered if crafty Mohawk scouts were lingering in the vicinity. They watched anxiously, but the mysterious object failed to appear.
"Did it look like a warrior?" inquired Running Fox.
"I do not know," replied Dancing Owl. "I saw some bushes move. Then something passed. It went fast. It was behind the bushes, I could not see what it was."
"Perhaps our brothers are over there," suggested Yellow Wolf.
Running Fox remained silent. A still more interesting possibility had entered his mind.
"Perhaps it was Spotted Deer," he said.
"Yes, yes, perhaps it was Spotted Deer," Dancing Owl said, eagerly. "Come, give the signal and we will see what comes of it."
"That would be bad," Running Fox warned him. "If the Mohawks are over there we must keep quiet and watch. If it is Spotted Deer our brothers will meet him. Then they will call us."
A moment later they heard the call of Woakus, the fox, a short distance farther down the river. They listened in breathless suspense. Two stirring possibilities instantly flashed across their minds. Had their friends met Spotted Deer? Were they about to call them? The signal, however, was not repeated. They turned to one another in alarm. Aware that their tribesmen were advancing along the opposite side of the river, they feared that they might be blundering into an ambush.
"It is bad," Yellow Wolf whispered, uneasily. "We do not know who is over there. If the Mohawks are hiding in that place they will catch our brothers. We must warn them."
"Yes, yes, make the signal," Dancing Owl said, anxiously.
"Wait," cautioned Running Fox. "I have found out who is over there. Look sharp near that crooked tree. See, there is Achtu, the deer."
A moment afterward they saw the buck standing at the edge of the timber. It had raised its head and was looking down the river. They believed it had caught the danger scent. An instant later it vanished into the shadows.
"Achtu has run away," said Running Fox. "Our brothers must be close."
Then he replied to the signal. In a few moments an answer came from across the river. Painted Hawk and his companions were almost at the place where the fire had been lighted.
"Our friends have come up with us—it is good," said Running Fox. "They will keep watching over there. Now we will go and look around that place where the fire was."
They spent some time scouting about in the vicinity of the spot where the fire had been. They found several tracks near the ashes from the fire, and the mark of a canoe at the edge of the water. As the clews were of little importance Running Fox was eager to hurry away on the trail of the Mohawks.
"See, our friends are over there," Yellow Wolf said, suddenly.
They saw two of their comrades searching along the opposite shore. Running Fox quickly identified them as Painted Hawk and Crooked Foot. He had little doubt that Turning Eagle was on guard at the edge of the woods. Running Fox stood at the edge of the water and waved his arms. When he had attracted the attention of his tribesmen, he pointed toward the north and made it plain that he was about to continue along the river. Then Painted Hawk pointed to the woods behind him and swept his arm in a short circle.
"Our brothers are going to move around over there to look for something," Running Fox told his companions. "Perhaps they have found a sign."
"See, they are telling us to wait here," Dancing Owl cried, excitedly.
Painted Hawk had pointed across the water and then seated himself. In a few moments he rose and again swept his arm toward the woods. Then he appeared to be waiting for a signal from his friends.
"I am going ahead," said Running Fox. "Yellow Wolf, I will ask you to go with me. Dancing Owl, you must stay here and wait for a signal from Painted Hawk."
Dancing Owl walked from the timber and seated himself near the water. Running Fox pointed toward him. Then he pointed toward Yellow Wolf and himself and then up the river. Painted Hawk seemed to understand. A moment afterward he and Crooked Foot disappeared into the timber.
"Dancing Owl, you must hide in the woods and wait," said Running Fox. "Come, Yellow Wolf, we will go."
At that instant Dancing Owl was looking sharply along the shore. Then he pointed excitedly toward a bowlder that rose above the water, a short distance away.
"I saw something go behind that rock," He said.
Running Fox and Yellow Wolf turned in alarm. The next moment they saw something drifting slowly past the bowlder. The three Delawares stared at it in amazement. They had suddenly recognized it as a paddle. The discovery roused their suspicions. They feared that a canoe was somewhere near.
"Come, jump into the bushes!" cried Running Fox.
They hid themselves and looked anxiously up the river. The paddle was near the shore and appeared to be drifting still nearer. They watched it in trying suspense. They longed to secure it, but still they feared to make the attempt.
"Perhaps the Mohawks saw us," said Yellow Wolf. "Perhaps they threw that paddle into the water to fool us. If we try to get it we may be killed."
"Yes, I believe it is a trick," Dancing Owl said, suspiciously.
Running Fox kept silent. He was staring at the paddle with eager, fascinated eyes. He had suddenly resolved to secure it.
"Keep watching," he cried, as he ran toward the river.
He waded into the water and when it rose to his waist, he reached out and drew the paddle toward him with his bow. As he lifted the paddle from the water he cried out in astonishment. Then he hurried to the shore and ran to his companions.
"See, see, this paddle belongs to Spotted Deer!" he told them, excitedly. "Here is his mark."
They instantly recognized the design which had been cut into the blade. For some time they stared at it in silence. They were trying to guess how the paddle had chanced to drift into their hands.
"It is bad," Running Fox said, finally.
His companions kept silent. They had little doubt that ill fortune of some sort had befallen Spotted Deer, and their minds were filled with gloomy premonitions. The finding of the paddle made them almost certain that Spotted Deer had been either captured or killed by the Mohawks. Running Fox was crushed by the possibility. For some moments he appeared unable to rouse himself. Then he suddenly turned toward the river and imitated the cry of Woakus, the fox. Three times he sent the call across the water to tell his friends that he had found signs of Spotted Deer.
"Come, Yellow Wolf, we will go ahead and try to find out about this thing," he said. "Dancing Owl, you must stay here."
"I will wait," Dancing Owl told him.
Suspicious and fearful of running into a trap, the two Delawares moved along the river with great caution. They kept close to the water, hoping to find further clews to the fate of Spotted Deer. They had gone a considerable distance when they finally discovered something which caused them to stop and exclaim in alarm. An overturned canoe had lodged in a mass of driftwood a short distance from the shore. The canoe was of Delaware design, and they knew at once that it belonged to their missing tribesman. They gazed upon it in silent dismay. Each was unwilling to express the fear which had entered his mind. Running Fox again gave the signal which told his friends that he had found further signs of Spotted Deer. Soon afterward Dancing Owl came to join them.
"My brothers, something bad has happened to Spotted Deer," he said, solemnly, as he saw the canoe.
Running Fox stared wildly into his face. His misery showed in his eyes, and his companions looked upon him with pity. Two alarming possibilities confronted them. They believed that Spotted Deer had either been overtaken and killed by the Mohawks or had overturned his canoe and perished in the river in a desperate effort to escape.
"I am going out to get that canoe," Running Fox said, suddenly.
He again waded into the river and made his way to the overturned canoe. There was a long, jagged rent in the bow. The discovery increased his fears for Spotted Deer. He dragged the canoe to the shore and watched in gloomy silence while Yellow Wolf and Dancing Owl made a careful examination.
"Well, my friends, what do you make of it?" Running Fox asked them.
"It is bad," declared Yellow Wolf. "I believe that hole was made by a rock. Perhaps Spotted Deer was going fast to get away from the Mohawks. Perhaps it was dark. He could not see far ahead. Then he bumped into that rock and fell into the river. Perhaps the Water Monsters pulled him down. Perhaps he got to land. I cannot tell you about it. It looks bad."
"Yes, it looks bad," agreed Running Fox. "Dancing Owl, tell us how you feel about it."
"It looks bad," said Dancing Owl. "We found that paddle. That was bad. A warrior does not throw away his paddle. Now we have found this canoe. It was turned over. There is a hole in it. I believe something bad has happened to Spotted Deer."
"Listen," cautioned Running Fox.
At that moment they heard the call of Woakus, the fox, somewhere in the vicinity of the spot where they had left Painted Hawk and his companions. In a few moments the signal was repeated. Then it sounded the third time. The Delawares looked at one another in surprise. Had their friends found signs of Spotted Deer on the other side of the river? It seemed impossible. Still there was no reason to doubt the signal.
"It is mysterious," declared Yellow Wolf.
Running Fox repeated the call. Then they listened in grave suspense. It was not long before the answer came. Again the signal sounded three times. There was no chance for uncertainty. It was plain that Painted Hawk and his companions had discovered a clew. The thought filled Running Fox with hope. Then he began to wonder if his tribesmen had been deceived. Having found the paddle and canoe of Spotted Deer, it was difficult to understand how the latter had been located on the other side of the river. Still Running Fox had full confidence in the judgment and skill of Painted Hawk and his companions. All were experienced warriors and scouts, and he knew that they would be unlikely to send a false signal.
"I do not know what to make of this thing, but I believe our brothers have found something," he said, finally. "If Spotted Deer was over there, perhaps he is alive."
"Perhaps Spotted Deer is with our brothers," Dancing Owl suggested, hopefully.
Running Fox and Yellow Wolf remained silent. They were doubtful. Running Fox felt quite certain that if Spotted Deer had met his tribesmen, he would have sent a signal across the water to relieve the anxiety of his friends.