“It would be wise.”

Robert saw that the Onondaga, with his acute instincts, was deeply alarmed, and he too felt that the wild fowl had given warning.  They sent the canoe with a few silent strokes through the shallow water almost to the edge of the land, and, as it nearly struck bottom, two dusky figures rising among the bushes threw their weight upon them.  The light craft sank almost to the edges with the weight, but did not overturn, and both attackers and attacked fell out of it into the lake.

Robert for a moment saw a dusky face above him, and instinctively he clasped the body of a warrior in his arms.  Then the two went down together in the water.  The Indian was about to strike at him with a knife, but the lake saved him.  As the water rushed into eye, mouth and nostril the two fell apart, but Robert was able to keep his presence of mind in that terrible moment, and, as he came up again, he snatched out his own knife and struck almost blindly.

He felt the blade encounter resistance, and then pass through it.  He heard a choked cry and he shuddered violently.  All his instincts were for civilization and against the taking of human life, and he had struck merely to save his own, but almost articulate words of thankfulness bubbled to his lips as he saw the dark figure that had hovered so mercilessly over him disappear.  Then a second figure took the place of the first and he drew back the fatal blade again, but a soft voice said: 

“Do not strike, Dagaeoga.  I also have accounted for one of the warriors who attacked us, and no more have yet come.  We may thank the wild fowl.  Had they not warned us we should have perished.”

“And even then we had luck, or your Tododaho is still watching over us.  I struck at random, but the blade was guided to its mark.”

“And so was mine.  What you say is also proved to be true by the fact that the canoe did not overturn, when they threw themselves upon us.  The chances were at least ninety-nine out of a hundred that it would do so.”

“And our arms and ammunition and our deer?”

“All in the canoe, except the weapons that are in our belts.”

“Then, Tayoga, it is quite sure that your Tododaho has been watching over us.  But where is the canoe?”

Robert was filled with alarm and horror.  They were standing above their knees in the water, and they no longer saw the little craft, which had become a veritable ship of refuge to them.  They peered about frantically in the dusk and then Tayoga said: 

“There is a strong breeze blowing from the land and waves are beginning to run on the water.  They have taken the canoe out into the lake.  We must swim in search of it.”

“And if we don’t find it?”

“Then we drown, but O Dagaeoga, death in the water is better than death in the fires that Tandakora will kindle.”

“We might escape into the woods.”

“Warriors who have come upon our trail are there, and would fall upon us at once.  The attack by the two who failed proves their presence.”