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.

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.