The Masters of the Peaks: A Story of the Great North Woods

by Joseph A. Altsheler

  CHAPTER III

  THE BRAVE DEFENSE

  Robert hoped for a fair morning. Surely Areskoui would relent now! Butthe sun that crept languidly up the horizon was invisible to them,hidden by a dark curtain of clouds that might shed, at any moment,torrents of rain or hail or snow. The whole earth swam in chillydamp. Banks of cold fog filled the valleys and gorges, and shreds andpatches of it floated along the peaks and ridges. The double fires haddried his clothing and had sent warmth into his veins, increasing hisvitality somewhat, but it was far below normal nevertheless. He had animmense aversion to further movement. He wanted to stay there betweenthe coals, awaiting passively whatever fate might have for him.Somehow, his will to make an effort and live seemed to have gone.

  While weakness grew upon him and he drooped by the fire, he did notfeel hunger, but it was only a passing phase. Presently the desire forfood that had gnawed at him with sharp teeth came back, and with ithis wish to do, like one stirred into action by pain. Hunger itselfwas a stimulus and his sinking vitality was arrested in its decline.He looked around eagerly at the sodden scene, but it certainly heldout little promise of game. Deer and bear would avoid those steeps,and range in the valleys. But the will to action, stimulated back tolife, remained. However comfortable it was between the fires they mustnot stay there to perish.

  "Why don't we go on?" he said to Willet.

  "I'm glad to hear you ask that question," replied the hunter.

  "Why, Dave?"

  "Because it shows that you haven't given up. If you've got the courageto leave such a warm and dry place you've got the courage also to makeanother fight for life. And you were the first to speak, too, Robert."

  "We must go on," said Tayoga. "But it is best to throw slush over thefire and hide our traces."

  The task finished they took up their vague journey, going they knewnot where, but knowing that they must go somewhere, their uncertainway still leading along the crests of narrow ridges, across shallowdips and through drooping forests, where the wind moaned miserably. Atintervals, it rained or snowed or hailed and once more they were wetthrough and through. The recrudescence of Robert's strength was a mereflare-up. His vitality ebbed again, and not even the fierce gnawinghunger that refused to depart could stimulate it. By-and-by he beganto stumble, but Tayoga and Willet, who noticed it, said nothing--theystaggered at times themselves. They toiled on for hours in silence,but, late in the afternoon, Robert turned suddenly to the Onondaga.

  "Do you remember, Tayoga," he said, "something you said to me a coupleof days since, or was it a week, or maybe a month ago? I seem toremember time very uncertainly, but you were talking about repasts,banquets, Lucullan banquets, more gorgeous banquets than old Nero had,and they say he was king of epicures. I think you spoke of tendervenison, and juicy bear steaks, and perhaps of a delicate broiledtrout from one of these clear mountain streams. Am I not right,Tayoga? Didn't you mention viands? And perhaps you may still bethinking of them?"

  "I _am_, Dagaeoga. I am thinking of them all the time. I confess toyou that I am so hungry I could gnaw the inside of the fresh bark upona tree, and if I were turned loose upon a deer, slain and cooked, Icould eat him all from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail."

  "Stop, you boys," said Willet sternly. "You only aggravate yoursufferings. Isn't that a valley to the right, Tayoga, and don't youcatch the gleam of a little lake among its trees?"

  "It is a valley, Great Bear, and there _is_ a small lake in thecenter. We will go there. Perhaps we can catch fish."

  Hope sprang up in Robert's heart. Fish? Why, of course there were fishin all the mountain lakes! and they never failed to carry hooks andlines in their packs. Bait could be found easily under the rocks.He did not conceal his eagerness to descend into the valley and theothers were not less forward than he.

  The valley was about half a square mile in area, of which the lake inthe center occupied one-fourth, the rest being in dense forest.The three soon had their lines in water, and they waited full ofanticipation, but they waited in vain until long after night had come.Not one of the three received a bite. The lines floated idly.

  "Every lake in the mountains except one is full of fish--except one!"exclaimed Robert bitterly, "and this is the one!"

  "No, it is not that," said Tayoga gravely. "It means that the faceof Areskoui is still turned from us, that the good Sun God does notrelent for our unknown sin. We must have offended him deeply that heshould remain angry with us so long. This lake is swarming with fish,like the others of the mountains, but he has willed that not oneshould hang upon our hooks. Why waste time?"

  He drew his line from the water, wound it up carefully and replacedit in his pack. The others, after a fruitless wait, imitated him,convinced that he was right. Then, after infinite pains, as before,they built two fires again, and slept between them. But the nextmorning all three were weak. Their vitality had declined fast in thenight, and the situation became critical in the extreme.

  "We must find food or we die," said Willet. "We might linger a longtime, but soon we won't have the strength to hunt, and then it wouldonly be a question of when the wolves took us."

  "I can hear them howling now on the slopes," said Tayoga. "They knowwe are here, and that our strength is declining. They will not faceour rifles, but will wait until we are too weak to use them."

  "What is your plan, Dave?" asked Robert.

  "There must be game on the slopes. What say you, Tayoga?"

  "If Areskoui has willed for game to be there it will be there. Hewill even send it to us. And perhaps he has decided that he has nowpunished us enough."

  "It certainly won't hurt for us to try, and perhaps we'd betterseparate. Robert, you go west; Tayoga, you take the eastern slopes,and I'll hunt toward the north. By night we'll all be back at thisspot, full-handed or empty-handed, as it may be, but full-handed, Ihope."

  He spoke cheerfully, and the others responded in like fashion. Actiongave them a mental and physical tonic, and bracing their weak bodiesthey started in the direction allotted to each. Robert forgot, for alittle while, the terrible hunger that seemed to be preying upon hisvery fiber, and, as he started away, showed an elasticity and buoyancyof which he could not have dreamed himself capable five minutesbefore.

  Westward stretched forest, lofty in the valley, high on the slopes andeverywhere dense. He plunged into it, and then looked back. Tayoga andWillet were already gone from his sight, seeking what he sought. Theirexperience in the wilderness was greater than his, and they weresuperior to him in trailing, but he was very hopeful that it would behis good fortune to find the game they needed so badly, the game theymust have soon, in truth, or perish.

  The valley was deep in slush and mire, and the water soaked throughhis leggings and moccasins again, but he paid no attention to it now.His new courage and strength lasted. Glancing up at the heavens hebeheld a little rift in the western clouds. A bar of light waslet through, and his mind, so imaginative, so susceptible to theinfluences of earth and air, at once saw it as an omen. It was apillar of fire to him, and his faith was confirmed.

  "Areskoui is turning back his face, and he smiles upon us," he said tohimself. Then looking carefully to his rifle, he held it ready for aninstant shot.

  He came to the westward edge of the valley, and found the slope beforehim gentle but rocky. He paused there a while in indecision, and,then glancing up again at the bar of light that had grown broader, hemurmured, so much had he imbibed the religion and philosophy of theIroquois:

  "O Areskoui, direct me which way to go."

  The reply came, almost like a whisper in his ear:

  "Try the rocks."

  It always seemed to him that it was a real whisper, not his own mindprompting him, and he walked boldly among the rocks which stretchedfor a long distance along the slopes. Then, or for the time, at least,he felt sure that a powerful hand was directing him. He saw tracks inthe soft soil between the strong uplifts and he believed that theywere fresh. Hollows were numerous there, and
game of a certain kindwould seek them in bitter weather.

  His heart began to pound hard, too heavily, in fact, for his weakenedframe, and he was compelled to stop and steady himself. Then heresumed the hunt once more, looking here and there between the rockyuplifts and in the deep depressions. He lost the tracks and thenhe found them, apparently fresher than ever. Would he take what hesought? Was the face of Areskoui still inclining toward him? He lookedup and the bar of light was steadily growing broader and longer. Thesmile of the Sun God was deeper, and his doubts went away, one by one.

  He turned toward a tall rock and a black figure sprang up, stared athim a moment or two, and then undertook to run away. Robert's rifleleaped to his shoulder, and, at a range so short that he could notmiss, he pulled the trigger. The animal went down, shot through theheart, and then, silently exulting, young Lennox stood over him.

  Areskoui had, in truth, been most kind. It was a young bear, nearlygrown, very fat, and, as Robert well knew, very tender also. Here wasfood, splendid food, enough to last them many days, and he rejoiced.Then he was in a quandary. He could not carry the bear away, and whilehe could cut him up, he was loath to leave any part of him there. Thewolves would soon be coming, insisting upon their share, but he wasresolved they should have none.

  He put his fingers over his mouth and blew between them a whistle,long, shrill and piercing, a sound that penetrated farther thanthe rifle shot. It was answered presently in a faint note from theopposite slope, and, then sitting down, he waited patiently. He knewthat Tayoga and Willet would come, and, after a while, they appeared,striding eagerly through the forest. Then Robert rose, his heart fullof gratitude and pride, and, in a grand manner, he did the honors.

  "Come, good comrades," he said. "Come to the banquet. Have a steak ofa bear, the finest, juiciest, tenderest bear that was ever killed.Have two steaks, three steaks, four steaks, any number of them. Hereis abundant food that Areskoui has sent us."

  Then he reeled and would have fallen to the ground had not Willetcaught him in his arms. His great effort, made in his weakenedcondition, had exhausted him and a sudden collapse came, but herevived almost instantly, and the three together dragged the body ofthe bear into the valley. Then they proceeded dextrously, but withoutundue haste, to clean it, to light a fire, and to cook strips. Nor didthey eat rapidly, knowing it was not wise to do so, but took littlepieces, masticating them long and well, and allowing a decent intervalbetween. Their satisfaction was intense and enormous. Life, fresh andvigorous, poured back into their veins.

  "I'm sorry our bear had to die," said Robert, "but he perished in agood cause. I think he was reserved for the especial purpose of savingour lives."

  "It is so," said Tayoga with deep conviction. "The face of Areskoui isnow turned toward us. Our unknown sin is expiated. We must cook allthe bear, and hang the flesh in the trees."

  "So we must," said the hunter. "It's not right that we three, who areengaged in the great service of our country, should be hindered by thedanger of starvation. We ought now to be somewhere near the French andIndians, watching them."

  "Tomorrow we will seek them, Great Bear," said Tayoga, "but do you notthink that tonight we should rest?"

  "So we should, Tayoga. You're right. We'll take all chances on beingseen, keep a good fire going and enjoy our comfort."

  "And eat a big black bear steak every hour or so," said Robert.

  "If we feel like it that's just what we'll do," laughed Willet. "It'sour night, now. Surely, Robert, you're the greatest hunter in theworld! Neither Tayoga nor I saw a sign of game, but you walkedstraight to your bear."

  "No irony," said Robert, who, nevertheless, was pleased. "It merelyproves that Areskoui had forgiven me, while he had not forgiven youtwo. But don't you notice a tremendous change?"

  "Change! Change in what?"

  "Why, everything! The whole world is transformed! Around us alittle while ago stretched a scrubby, gloomy forest, but it is nowmagnificent and cheerful. I never saw finer oaks and beeches. That skywhich was black and sinister has all the gorgeous golds and reds andpurples of a benevolent sunset. The wind, lately cold and wet, isactually growing soft, dry and warm. It's a grand world, a kind world,a friendly world!"

  "Thus, O Dagaeoga," said Tayoga, "does the stomach rule man and theuniverse. It is empty and all is black, it is filled and all thatwas black turns to rose. But the rose will soon be gone, because thesunlight is fading and night is at hand."

  "But it's a fine night," said Robert sincerely. "I think it about thefinest night I ever saw coming."

  "Have another of these beautiful broiled steaks," said Willet, "andyou'll be sure it's the finest night that ever was or ever will be."

  "I think I will," said Robert, as he held the steak on the end of asharpened stick over the coals and listened to the pleasant sizzlingsound, "and after this is finished and a respectable time has elapsed,I may take another."

  The revulsion in all three was tremendous. Although they had hiddenit from one another, the great decrease in physical vitality hadmade their minds sink into black despair, but now that strength wasreturning so fast they saw the world through different eyes. Theylay back luxuriously and their satisfaction was so intense that theythought little of danger. Tandakora might be somewhere near, but itdid not disturb men who were as happy as they. The night came down,heavy and dark, as had been predicted, and they smothered their fire,but they remained before the coals, sunk in content.

  They talked for a while in low tones, but, at length, they becamesilent. The big hunter considered. He knew that, despite the revulsionin feeling, they were not yet strong enough to undertake a greatcampaign against their enemies, and it would be better to remain awhile in the valley until they were restored fully.

  Beside their fire was a good enough place for the time, and Robertkept the first watch. The night, in reality, had turned much warmerand the sky was luminous with stars. The immense sense of comfortremained with him, and he was not disturbed by the howling of thewolves, which he knew had been drawn by the odor of game, but which heknew also would be afraid to invade the camp and attack three men.

  His spirits, high as they were already, rose steadily as he watched.Surely after the Supreme Power had cast them down into the depths, amiracle had been worked in their behalf to take them out again. It wasno skill of his that had led him to the bear, but strength far greaterthan that of man was now acting in their behalf. As they had triumphedover starvation they would triumph over everything. His sanguine mindpredicted it.

  The next morning was crisp and cold, but not wet, and Robert ate themost savory breakfast he could recall. That bear must have been fed onthe choicest of wild nuts, topped off with wild honey, to have been sojuicy and tender, and the thought of nuts caused him to look under thebig hickory trees, where he found many of them, large and ripe. Theymade a most welcome addition to their bill of fare, taking the placeof bread. Then, they were so well pleased with themselves that theyconcluded to spend another day and night in the valley.

  Tayoga about noon climbed the enclosing ridge to the north, and, whenhe returned, Willet noticed a sparkle in his eyes. But the hunter saidnothing, knowing that the Onondaga would speak in his own good time.

  "There is another valley beyond the ridge," said Tayoga, "and a warparty is encamped in it. They sit by their fire and eat prodigiouslyof deer they have killed."

  Robert was startled, but he kept silent, he, too, knowing that Tayogawould tell all he intended to tell without urging.

  "They do not know we are here, I do not think they dream of ourpresence," continued the Onondaga, "Areskoui smiles on us now, andTododaho on his star, which we cannot see by day, is watching over us.Their feet will not bring them this way."

  "Then you wouldn't suggest our taking to flight?" said Willet. "Youwould favor hiding here in peace?"

  "Even so. It will please us some day to remember that we rested andslept almost within hearing of our enemies, and yet they did not takeus."

  "That's gr
im humor, Tayoga, but if it's the way you feel, Robert and Iare with you."

  Later in the afternoon they saw smoke rising beyond the ridge andthey knew the warriors had built a great fire before which they wereprobably lying and gorging themselves, after their fashion when theyhad plenty of food, and little else to do. Yet the three remaineddefiantly all that day and all through the following night. The nextmorning, with ample supplies in their packs, they turned their facessouthward, and cautiously climbed the ridge in that direction, oncemore passing into the region of the peaks. To their surprise theystruck several comparatively fresh trails in the passes, and they weresoon forced to the conclusion that the hostile forces were still allabout them. Near midday they stopped in a narrow gorge between highpeaks and listened to calls of the inhabitants of the forest, thefaint howls of wolves, and once or twice the yapping of a fox.

  "The warriors signaling to one another!" said Willet.

  "It is so," said Tayoga. "I think they have noticed our tracks inthe earth, too slight, perhaps, to tell who we are, but they willundertake to see."

  "I hear the call of a moose directly ahead," said Robert, "although Iknow it is no moose that makes it. Our way there is cut off."

  "And there is the howl of the wolf behind us," said Tayoga. "We cannotgo back."

  "Then," said Robert, "I suppose we must climb the mountain. It's luckywe've got our strength again."

  They scaled a lofty summit once more, fortunately being able to climbamong rocks, where they left no trail, and, crouched at the crest indense bushes, they saw two bands meet in the valley below, evidentlysearching for the fugitives. There was no white man among them, butRobert knew a gigantic figure to be that of Tandakora, seeking themwith the most intense and bitter hatred. The muzzle of his rifle beganto slide forward, but Willet put out a detaining hand.

  "No, Robert, lad," he said. "He deserves it, but his time hasn't comeyet. Besides your shot would bring the whole crowd up after us."

  "And he belongs to me," added Tayoga. "When he falls it is to be by myhand."

  "Yes, he belongs to you, Tayoga," said Willet "Now they've concludedthat we continued toward the south, and they're going on that way."

  As they felt the need of the utmost caution they spent the remainderof the day and the next night on the crest. Robert kept the latewatch, and he saw the dawn come, red and misty, a huge sun shiningover the eastern mountains, but shedding little warmth. He was hopefulthat Tandakora and his warriors had passed on far into the south, buthe heard a distant cry rising in the clear air east of the peak andthen a reply to the west. His heart stood still for a moment. Heknew that they were the whoops of the savages and he felt that theysignified a discovery. Perhaps chance had disclosed their trail. Helistened with great intentness, but the shouts did not come again.Nevertheless the omen was bad.

  He awoke Willet and the Onondaga, who had been sleeping soundly,and told them what had happened, both agreeing that the shouts werecharged with import.

  "I think it likely that we will be attacked," said the hunter. "Now wemust take another look at our position."

  The peak, luckily for them, was precipitous, and its crest did notcover an area of more than twenty or thirty square yards. On the threesides the ascent was so steep that a man could not climb up exceptwith extreme difficulty, but on the fourth, by which they had come,the slope was more gradual. The gentle climb faced the east, and itwas here that the hunter and Robert watched, while Tayoga, for thesake of utmost precaution, kept an eye on the steep sides.

  Knowing that it was wise to economize and even to increase theirstrength, they ate abundantly of the bear steaks, afterward cravingwater, which they were forced to do without--the one great flaw intheir position, since the warriors might hold them there to perish ofthirst.

  Robert soon forgot the desire for water in the tenseness of watchingand waiting. But even the anxiety and the peril to his life did notkeep him from noticing the singularity of his situation, upon theslender peak of a high mountain far in the wilderness. The sun, fullof splendor but still cold, touched with gold all the surroundingcrests and ridges and filled with a yellow but luxurious haze everygorge and ravine. He was compelled to admire its wintry beauty, abeauty, though, that he knew to be treacherous, surcharged as it waswith savage wile and stratagem, and a burning desire for their lives.

  A time that seemed incredible passed without demonstration from theenemy. But he realized that it was only about two hours. He did notexpect to see any of the warriors creeping up the slopes toward them,but too wise to watch for their faces he did expect to notice thebushes move ever so slightly under their advance. He and Willetremained crouched in the same positions in the shelter of high rocks.Tayoga, who had been moving about the far side, came to them andwhispered:

  "I am going down the northern face of the cliff!"

  "Why, it's sheer insanity, Tayoga!" said the astonished hunter.

  "But I'm going."

  "What'll you achieve after you've gone? You'll merely walk intoTandakora's hands!"

  "I go, Great Bear, and I will return in a half hour, alive and well."

  "Is your mind upset, Tayoga?"

  "I am quite sane. Remember, Great Bear, I will be back in a half hourunhurt."

  Then he was gone, gliding away through the low vegetation that coveredthe crest, and Robert and the hunter looked at each other.

  "There is more in this than the eye sees," said young Lennox. "I neverknew Tayoga to speak with more confidence. I think he will be backjust as he says, in half an hour."

  "Maybe, though I don't understand it. But there are lots of things onedoesn't understand. We must keep our eyes on the slope, and let Tayogasolve his own problem, whatever it is."

  There was no wind at all, but once Robert thought he saw the shrubshalfway down the steep move, though he was not sure and nothingfollowed. But, intently watching the place where the motion hadoccurred, he caught a gleam of metal which he was quite sure came froma rifle barrel.

  "Did you see it?" he whispered to the hunter.

  "Aye, lad," replied Willet. "They're there in that dense clump, hopingwe've relaxed the watch and that they can surprise us. But it may betwo or three hours before they come any farther. Always remember inyour dealings with Indians that they have more time than anythingelse, and so they know how to be patient. Now, I wonder what Tayoga isdoing! That boy certainly had something unusual on his mind!"

  "Here he is, ready to speak for himself, and back inside his promisedhalf hour."

  Tayoga parted the bushes without noise, and sat down between thembehind the big rocks. He offered no explanation, but seemed verycontent with himself.

  "Well, Tayoga," said Willet, "did you go down the side of themountain?"

  "As far as I wished."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "I have been engaged in a very pleasant task, Great Bear."

  "What pleasure can you find in scaling a steep and rocky slope?"

  "I have been drinking, Great Bear, drinking the fresh, pure water ofthe mountains, and it was wonderfully cool and good to my dry throat."

  The two gazed at him in astonishment, and he laughed low, but withdeep enjoyment.

  "I took one drink, two drinks, three drinks," he said, "and when thetime comes I shall take more. The fountain also awaits the lips of theGreat Bear and of Dagaeoga."

  "Tell it all," said Robert.

  "When I looked down the steep side a long time I thought I caught agleam as of falling water in the bushes. It was only twenty or thirtyyards below us, and, when I descended to it, I found a little fountainbursting from a crevice in the rock. It was but a thread, makinga tiny pool a few inches across, before it dropped away among thebushes, but it is very cool, very clear, and there is always plenty ofit for many men."

  "Is the descent hard?" asked Willet.

  "Not for one who is strong and cautious. There are thick vines andbushes to which to hold, and remember that the splendid water is atthe end of the journey."

>   "Then, Robert, you go," said the hunter, "and mind, too, that you getback soon, because my throat is parching. I'd like to have one deepdrink before the warriors attack."

  Robert followed Tayoga, and, obeying his instructions, was soon at thefountain, where he drank once, twice, thrice, and then once moreof the finest water he could recall. Then, deeply grateful for theOnondaga's observation, he climbed back, and the hunter took his turn.

  "It was certainly good, Tayoga," he said, when he was back inposition. "Some men don't think much of water, but none of us can livewithout it. You've saved our lives."

  "Perhaps, O Great Bear," responded the Onondaga, "but if the bushesbelow continue to shake as they are doing we shall have to save themagain. Ah!"

  The exclamation, long drawn but low, was followed by the leap of hisrifle to the shoulder, and the pressing of his finger on the trigger.A stream of fire sprang from the muzzle of the long barrel to befollowed by a yell in one of the thickets clustering on the slope. Asavage rose to his feet, threw up his arms and fell headlong, his bodycrashing far below on the rocks. Robert shut his eyes and shivered.

  "He was dead before he touched earth, lad," said the hunter. "Now theothers are ready to scramble back. Look how the bushes are shakingagain!"

  Robert had shut his eyes only for a moment, and now he saw the scrubshaking more violently than ever. Then he had a fleeting glimpse ofbrown bodies as all the warriors descended rapidly. Anyone of thethree might have fired with good aim, but they did not raise theirrifles. Since their enemies were retreating they would let themretreat.

  "They're all back in the valley now," said the hunter after a littlewhile, "and they'll think a lot before they try the steep ascent asecond time. Now it's a question of patience, and they hope we'llbecome so weak from thirst that we'll fall into their hands."

  "Tandakora and his warriors would be consumed with anger if they knewof our spring," said Tayoga.

  "They'll find out about it soon," said Robert.

  "I think not," said Tayoga. "I noticed when I was at the fountain thatthe rivulet ran back into the cliff about a hundred feet below, andone can see the water only from the crest. If Areskoui has allowed usto be besieged here, he at least has created much in our favor."

  He looked toward the east, where the great red sun was shining, andworshiped silently. It seemed to Robert that his young comrade staredunwinking for a long time into the eye of the Sun God, though perhapsit was only a few seconds. But his form expanded and his face wasillumined. Robert knew that the Onondaga's confidence had becomesupreme, and he shared in it.

  The hunter and Tayoga kept the watch after a while, and young Lennoxwas free to wander about the crest as he wished. He examined carefullythe three sides they had left unguarded, but was convinced that nowarrior, no matter how skillful and tenacious, could climb up there.Then he wandered back toward the sentinels, and, sitting down under atree, began to study the distant slopes across the gorge.

  He saw the warriors gather by-and-by in a deep recess out of rifleshot, light a fire and begin to cook great quantities of game, asif they meant to stay there and keep the siege until doomsday, ifnecessary. He saw the gigantic figure of Tandakora approach the fire,eat voraciously for a while and then go away. After him came a whiteman in French uniform. He thought at first it was St. Luc and hisheart beat hard, but he was able to discern presently that it was anofficer not much older than himself, in a uniform of white faced withviolet and a black, three-cornered hat. Finally he recognized young DeGalissonniere, whom he had met in Quebec, and whom he had seen a fewdays since in the French camp.

  As he looked De Galissonniere left the recess, descended into thevalley and then began to climb their slope, a white handkerchief heldaloft on the point of his small sword. Young Lennox immediately joinedthe two watchers at the brink.

  "A flag of truce! Now what can he want!" he exclaimed.

  "We'll soon see," replied Willet. "He's within good hearing now, andI'll hail him."

  He shouted in powerful tones that echoed in the gorge:

  "Below there! What is it?"

  "I have something to say that will be of great importance to you,"replied De Galissonniere.

  "Then come forward, while we remain here. We don't trust your allies."

  Robert saw the face of the young Frenchman flush, but DeGalissonniere, as if knowing the truth, and resolved not to quibbleover it, climbed steadily. When he was within twenty feet of thecrest the hunter called to him to halt, and he did so, leaning easilyagainst a strong bush, while the three waited eagerly to hear what hehad to say.