The departure of Running Fox filled his companions with dismal premonitions of disaster. They had grave doubts that he would be able to pass the alert guards along the edge of the swamp, and they feared that he would either be killed or captured by his foes. They listened anxiously, fearing that at any moment a piercing shout would warn them that their comrade had gone to his death. Then, as the stillness continued, they began to feel more confident. It was a long time, however, before they dared to give expression to their hopes.

"I believe Running Fox got away," Dancing Owl said, finally.

"Perhaps it will take him a long time to get out of this place," Spotted Deer reminded him.

"Well, we have not heard any sounds," Crooked Foot declared, hopefully. "Nothing bad has happened to him."

When the long night finally passed, they felt confident that Running Fox had escaped. The thought thrilled them. They knew that if they could stand off the Mohawks, a strong force of Delawares would eventually come to their rescue.

"We must be strong," said Spotted Deer. "I believe Running Fox will bring our people."

At daylight they heard the owl-calls around the edge of the swamp. They were repeated many times until the woods rang with the weird chorus. The Mohawks were exchanging signals. The Delawares felt certain that their foes were getting ready to close in.

"Now we must lie close," said Spotted Deer.

They crouched far down into the intricate barricade of tree trunks in the hope of escaping the sharp eyes of the Mohawk scouts. They had little hope that those shrewd foes would fail to notice such a promising hiding place. The great chorus of owl-calls had ceased, but there were other signals rising in various parts of the swamp, and the Delawares knew that the search had begun.

"I saw some one pass over there between those trees," Dancing Owl whispered, excitedly.

"Keep watching," said Spotted Deer.

In a few moments the scout again showed himself between the trees. He was moving toward their hiding place. Then he suddenly discovered the confused jumble of fallen trees. He immediately disappeared behind the trunk of a great spruce.

"That scout is cautious," whispered Turning Eagle. "I was getting ready to kill him."

"Save your arrows," Spotted Deer cautioned him. "We must keep them until the Mohawks rush up to us."

They knew that the Mohawk was watching from behind the tree. The thought kept them motionless. They felt quite certain that he would not pass on without examining the cover. Then they heard him signaling. Their hopes fled. They knew he had become suspicious.

"He is calling his friends," whispered Yellow Wolf. "There is no hope. They will surely find us."

"Pretty soon we will have to fight," declared Crooked Foot.

As the signal had been answered, the Delawares watched anxiously on all sides for the appearance of other scouts. It was not long before they saw another Mohawk darting swiftly between the trees. He had come from a different direction. As he discovered the hiding place he, too, stopped and took shelter. Then a third Mohawk came from behind them. He approached well within bow-range and crouched to peer into the cover.

"That warrior will find us," Yellow Wolf said, fearfully.

An instant later his fears were confirmed. The scout straightened and raised a piercing yell that reverberated threateningly through the swamp. Dancing Owl prepared to shoot his arrow at him, but he sprang behind a tree.

"Well, my brothers, the Mohawks have found us," said Spotted Deer. "Now we must fight. We are in a good place. If you save your arrows until our enemies come close, it will be hard for them to reach us. I believe we can hold them off a long time. Keep close behind these trees. We must keep alive until our brothers come."

Having found their foes, the Mohawks immediately surrounded their hiding place. They were within easy bow-range and some exposed themselves with great boldness, but the Delawares withheld their arrows. They believed that their crafty foes were tempting them to waste their supply.

"Wait," cautioned Spotted Deer.

The Mohawks seemed in no haste to make an attack. They saw that their enemies were in a strong position, and they realized that it might be difficult and costly to dislodge them. Bitter experience had taught them that the Delawares were crafty and fearless fighters who would compel them to pay dearly for victory. They believed it would be folly to rush recklessly into a fight before they had carefully considered plans for overcoming them. Leaving scouts to watch, the main company of Mohawks withdrew to hold a council. They stole away so stealthily, however, that the Delawares did not learn that they had gone.

"They are afraid of us," said Turning Eagle. "I do not believe they are going to rush upon us."

"They are very sly and very brave," Spotted Deer cautioned him. "I believe they are getting ready to do something. We must watch sharp."

They waited in great anxiety to learn what their foes intended to do. The delay encouraged them. They felt sure that Running Fox was speeding toward the Delaware camp, and the thought made them strong. Once advised of their predicament, they knew that their people would make desperate efforts to arrive at the swamp in time to save them. The longer the Mohawks postponed the attack, therefore, the stronger became the hopes of the Delawares.

"Perhaps they will hold off until it gets dark again," suggested Dancing Owl.

"No, I do not believe it," said Spotted Deer. "They are talking about how to do this thing."

Soon afterward the Mohawks returned within bow-range. They commenced to taunt and threaten and sing their war songs. Then they began to move closer. The heavy stand of timber offered them splendid shelter. They darted quickly from tree to tree, and the Delawares caught only swift, momentary glimpses of them. It was a crafty, cautious method of attack which enabled the Mohawks to advance upon their foes with little peril to themselves.

"They are getting close, we must stop them," Crooked Foot said, anxiously.

"Wait," cautioned Spotted Deer. "If you shoot your arrows you will hit the trees. Wait until the Mohawks rush in."

He had barely finished speaking when an arrow imbedded itself in the tree trunk behind which he crouched. He had been seen by one of the Mohawks. The thought made him more cautious. Aware that the Mohawks were watching for a chance to kill them from ambush, the Delawares realized that it might be fatal to expose themselves.

"Keep quiet," Spotted Deer warned them. "The Mohawks are watching sharp."

Then, for some time, neither Delawares nor Mohawks showed themselves. The former crouched low in their shelter, waiting for their enemies to begin the attack. The Mohawks stood behind trees with their arrows ready and their eyes fixed hopefully on the tangle of tree trunks which sheltered their foes. The Delawares were well pleased at the caution displayed by the Mohawks. They knew that each moment of delay increased their chances of rescue. Several times they saw the faces of their foes peering cautiously around the trees, but the mark was too small to warrant risking their arrows. Then some one addressed them in the Delaware dialect.

"Hi, now we know who you are," he said. "You are Delawares. It is good. We took you for our enemies, the Shawnees. That is why we chased you into this place. Do not be afraid. Come out, Delawares. We will not harm you. Come out and talk with us. Perhaps you can tell us about the boastful Shawnees. Our hearts are good toward you. That is why we held back our arrows when we found out who you are."

For a moment Spotted Deer was tempted to reply to the treacherous words of the Mohawk. Then he suddenly realized that the warrior might recognize his voice. Having been a prisoner in their camp, he believed it would be foolish to risk the chance of being recognized. In the meantime the Mohawk appeared to be growing impatient.

"Well, Delawares, how do you feel about it?" he inquired.

Spotted Deer nodded toward Yellow Wolf. The latter addressed the Mohawk.

"Mohawk, we heard your words," he said. "We are talking about them. You must give us time to decide what to do. There are only a few of us. I see that there are many of you. We must be cautious. We know that you are very fierce. Perhaps if we come out you will take away our arrows. Wait there a little while. Then we will tell you what we have decided to do."

The Mohawk instantly detected the sarcasm which had been skillfully woven into the reply. It filled him with rage, but he realized that it would be foolish to betray himself to his foes. He waited until he had choked back the fierce words that rose to his lips, and then he prepared another trap for the Delawares.

"I see that you are cautious," he said, calmly. "Well, we will not wait for you. We must go to fight the boastful Shawnees. Come out when you are ready. The way is clear. Listen, I am going to tell my friends to go away. You must not try to harm us. If you do, perhaps we will have to kill you."

"Go, Mohawk, we will save our arrows," laughed Yellow Wolf.

They heard the Mohawk talking loudly to his companions. A few moments afterward they saw many of the Mohawks retreating cautiously into the shadows. They knew at once that it was a wily trick to lure them into the open, and they felt sure that a strong force of scouts was still lurking within bow-shot. They gave no hint of their suspicions, however, as they were overjoyed at the possibility of further delay by the Mohawks. Then they heard shouts and signals from the border of the swamp. They chuckled gleefully as they realized the trouble the Mohawks were taking to deceive them.

"Now watch sharp, I am going to make them show themselves," said Spotted Deer.

He seized a number of brittle twigs and began to break them, while he stamped upon others with his feet. The noise made it appear as if the Delawares were leaving the shelter. Deceived by the trick, a number of alert Mohawk scouts peeped anxiously from behind their trees. The Delawares laughed softly as they discovered them. Aware that they had been tricked, the enraged Mohawks sent a harmless volley of arrows into the barricade.

"Hi, hi, that made them mad," laughed Crooked Foot.

For a long time afterward they saw nothing further of their foes. They had little doubt that the scouts still kept watch behind the trees, but they were anxious to know what had become of the tricky Mohawk leader and the rest of the war party. More than half of the day had passed, and the Delawares believed there was slight danger of attack before night. Their minds turned to Running Fox and their people. They believed that he had reached the camp, and that a great war party of Delawares was already speeding to their rescue.

"If the Mohawks wait a little longer, we will fool them," said Dancing Owl.

"Perhaps they will creep up to us when it gets dark," Spotted Deer told him.

"Perhaps our people will come by that time," suggested Turning Eagle.

"No, they cannot get here so quick," declared Yellow Owl. "I have been thinking about it. If Running Fox got to the camp I believe they will come soon after the next sun appears. That is a long time to wait. I believe the Mohawks will try to do some big things before the night goes away."

At that moment they suddenly learned what had become of the crafty Mohawk leader and the warriors who had followed him to the edge of the swamp. A ringing shout rose behind them. They turned to find a company of Mohawks rushing upon them. At the same time the warriors who had been concealed behind the trees ran in from the opposite direction. Attacked from both sides, the Delawares were momentarily bewildered. Their foes were at the barricade before they recovered from their surprise.

"Come, Delawares, fight for your lives!" cried Spotted Deer.

The Mohawks had abandoned their caution and were exposing themselves with unusual recklessness. Unable to reach their foes with arrows, they were attempting to force their way into the tangle of logs to beat down the Delawares with their war clubs. The fight soon became a fierce hand-to-hand struggle. The Delawares, however, had the advantage. Protected by the dense cover, they fought with a desperate ferocity that astonished their foes. Spotted Deer drove his arrow through a Mohawk who had clambered over the barricade and was about to crush his skull with his war club. Yellow Wolf seized another warrior and threw him back into the arms of his comrades. Crooked Foot and Turning Eagle fought side by side and drove back the Mohawks with a deadly volley of arrows. Dancing Owl struck down a warrior who was about to kill Yellow Wolf. Then the Mohawks gave way and rushed to cover. The attack ended as suddenly as it began.

"Hi, that was a good fight," Yellow Wolf laughed, excitedly, as he examined a gash on his arm.

"We showed the Mohawks how to fight," Spotted Deer said, grimly.

Except for the slight wound which Yellow Wolf received, the Delawares escaped unharmed. As the Mohawks outnumbered them six or eight to one, they were greatly elated at their success. They had little fear that the attack would be renewed before dark. The Mohawks had carried off their disabled comrades, and the Delawares were unable to learn what the effort had cost them. They had withdrawn beyond arrow-range and were shouting and singing war songs.

"They sound very fierce, but we made them run," Dancing Owl said, boastfully.

"They will come back when it gets dark," Yellow Wolf warned him.

The thought made them serious. They knew that the night would give the Mohawks a great advantage. It would enable them to creep close up to the shelter, and the Delawares feared that it would be impossible to discover them. They realized, therefore, that although they had successfully resisted the first savage attack of their foes they were still in great danger. They believed that the Mohawks would make a still more determined effort under cover of the darkness.

"Perhaps we can fool them," said Turning Eagle. "When it gets dark we will creep away from here. Then perhaps we can get out of this swamp when the Mohawks rush to this place to fight us."

"No, my brother," Spotted Deer told him. "The Mohawks have found us. They are very sharp. They will keep us here. I believe they are watching close by. When it gets dark, they will come closer. If we leave this place, I believe we will be wiped out."

"It is true," said Yellow Wolf. "We must stay where we are."

In the meantime the Mohawks had become silent. The Delawares instantly became alert. They wondered if their foes were again advancing noiselessly through the timber. The sun has disappeared, and the twilight shadows were creeping into the swamp. The Delawares kept sharp watch on the spaces between the trees. The Mohawks, however, failed to show themselves.

"What do you make of it?" Crooked Foot asked Spotted Deer.

"I believe they are waiting until it gets dark," said Spotted Deer.

They watched uneasily as the light slowly faded from the swamp. The approach of darkness filled them with dread. The night threatened them with disaster. They wondered if they would live to see the dawn. Vague, alarming doubts entered their minds. They became discouraged and depressed. Then they roused themselves with the thought that their people were rushing to their assistance. It gave them hope, and strengthened their courage. They believed that the Delawares were already well on their way toward the swamp. They told themselves that they must hold out until they arrived. Their hearts beat wildly at the possibility of another sudden victory over the Mohawks.

"Our people will come," Spotted Deer said, confidently. "Pretty soon we will see the Mohawks running like rabbits."

The swamp was almost dark. It was difficult to see between the trees. The shadows were lengthening. Night was closing its long black fingers about the forest. All was hushed. The Delawares believed that the hour of peril was at hand. They peered fearfully from their cover, and listened closely for the approach of their foes.

"What has become of them?" Crooked Foot asked, suspiciously, when half of the night had passed.

"I do not know what to make of it," Spotted Deer told him.

"Perhaps they have gone away," said Dancing Owl.

"No," declared Yellow Wolf. "Keep watching. They will come."

The night was far gone when they finally heard sounds which convinced them that the Mohawks were close at hand. A soft, cautious signal sounded through the darkness. Some moments afterward a twig cracked. The Delawares prepared to defend themselves. They feared that their foes were creeping silently toward the barricade.

"Get ready, they are close by," Yellow Wolf cautioned.

"They are here!" shouted Turning Eagle, as he shot his arrow.

An instant afterward the piercing war cry rang in their ears, and the Mohawks charged recklessly upon the shelter. They scrambled wildly into the mass of fallen timber and attempted to reach the Delawares. However, as only a few at a time could force their way into the dense tangle, the Delawares drove them back with a deadly volley of arrows. Then they made another desperate attack, and several warriors actually got within reach of the Delawares. The latter attacked them with great courage, and soon found themselves fighting at close quarters in the dark. Encouraged by the success of their comrades, the rest of the Mohawks were fighting their way into the tangle.

"Die like men!" shouted Spotted Deer, as he hurled himself upon one of his foes.

At that instant a terrified yell rang through the night. It came from the edge of the swamp. It had barely died away before the thrilling Delaware war cry rose from a hundred throats. The Mohawks turned in dismay. The Delawares raised a great shout that filled the hearts of Black Panther and his warriors with joy.

"Our brothers are alive!" cried the great war chief. "Come, Delawares, wipe away the boastful Mohawks."

Aware that they had been trapped, the demoralized Mohawks scrambled from the tangle and fled into the night. They had not gone an arrow-flight before they encountered the Delawares. The latter had completely surrounded the scene of battle.

"Wait, Mohawks, our people have come to meet you!" laughed Yellow Wolf. "Do not be afraid. Wait. We are coming out to talk with you. Wait, Mohawks, perhaps our people will tell you about the Shawnees."

The Mohawks had taken shelter behind trees, hoping that the Delawares might rush by them. The Delawares, however, hunted them out with the calm, thorough persistence of wolves. They took a terrible vengeance upon the fierce foes who had attempted to annihilate their tribesmen. Few of the Mohawks escaped. Those that got away fled wildly toward the north to carry the news of their disaster to their people.

"My brothers, you are alive—it is enough," cried Running Fox, as he rushed to meet his friends.

"Running Fox, you have given us our lives," cried Crooked Foot. "You are a great war leader."

"My brother, you took me away from the Shawnees," Spotted Deer said, with emotion. "It was a great thing to do. Now you have done another great thing. Come, I will go and tell Black Panther and our people about it."

THE END