“What about the Hodenosaunee?  Do you too forget, Dagaeoga?”

“I don’t forget, Tayoga.  When I said ‘ours’ I meant American, Hodenosaunee and English combined.  You’ve good eyes, and so tell me if I’m not right when I say I see a moving black dot on the lake.”

“You do see it, my friend, and also a second and a third.  The segment of the lake that we can see from here is very narrow.  At this distance it does not appear to be more than a few inches across, but I know as surely as Tododaho sits on his star watching over us, that those are canoes, or perhaps long boats, and that they belong to our enemies.”

“A force on the water cooeperating with that on land?”

“It seems so, Dagaeoga.”

“And they mean to become the rulers of the lakes!  With their army powerfully established at Crown Point, and their boats on both Andiatarocte and Oneadatote, it looks as if they were getting a great start in that direction.”

“Aye, Dagaeoga.  The French move faster than we.  They seize what we both wish, and then it will be for us to put them out, they being in possession and intrenched.  Look, Black Rifle comes out of the forest!  And Haace is with him!  They have something to tell!”

It was the honor and pleasure of young Lennox and the Onondaga to be present at the councils, and though they said nothing to their elders unless asked for an opinion, they always listened with eagerness to everything.  Now Willet, Rogers and Daganoweda drew together, and Black Rifle and Haace, their dark eyes gleaming, made report to them.

“A strong force, at least one hundred and fifty men, lies about five miles to the north, on the shore of the lake,” said Black Rifle.  “About twenty Frenchmen are with it, and it is commanded by St. Luc.  I saw him from the bushes.  He has with him the Canadian, Dubois.  De Courcelles and Jumonville are there also.  At least a hundred warriors and Frenchmen are on the lake, in canoes and long boats.  I saw Tandakora too.”

“A formidable force,” said Willet.  “Do you wish to turn back, Daganoweda?”

The eyes of the Mohawk chieftain glittered and he seemed to swell both in size and stature.

“We are a hundred,” he replied proudly.  “What does it matter how many they are?  I am astonished that the Great Bear should ask me such a question.”

Willet laughed softly.

“I asked it,” he said, “because I knew what the answer would be.  None other could come from a Mohawk chieftain.”

Again the eyes of Daganoweda glittered, but this time with pride.

“Shall we advance and attack St. Luc’s force tonight?” said Willet, turning to Rogers.

“I think it would be best,” replied the Mountain Wolf.  “A surprise is possible tonight only.  Tomorrow his scouts are sure to find that we are near.  What say you, Daganoweda?”

“Tonight,” replied the Mohawk chief, sententiously.