Garay uttered the sigh of one who comes reluctantly from the land of sleep and who would have gone back through the portals which were only half opened, but Robert brought his hand down again, good and hard.  Then his eyes flew open and he saw the calm face beside him, and the calm eyes less than a foot away, staring straight into his own.  It must be an evil dream, he thought at first, but it had all the semblance of reality, and, when he turned his head in fear, he saw another face on the other side of him, carved in red bronze, it too only a foot away and staring at him in stern accusation.

Then all the faculties of Garay, spy and attempted assassin, leaped into life, and he uttered a yell of terror, springing to his feet, as if he had been propelled by a galvanic battery.  Strong hands, seizing him on either side, pulled him down again and the voice of Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the great League of the Hodenosaunee said insinuatingly in his ear: 

“Sit down, Achille Garay!  Here are two who wish to talk with you!”

He fell back heavily and his soul froze within him, as he recognized the faces.  His figure sagged, his eyes puffed out, and he waited in silent terror.

“I see that you recognize us, Achille Garay,” said Robert, whose whimsical humor was still upon him.  “You’ll recall that shot in Albany.  Perhaps you did not expect to meet my friend and me here in the heart of the northern forests, but here we are.  What have you to say for yourself?”

Garay strove to speak, but the half formed words died on his lips.

“We wish explanations about that little affair in Albany,” continued his merciless interlocutor, “and perhaps there is no better time than the present.  Again I repeat, what have you to say?  And you have also been in the French and Indian camp.  You bore a message to St. Luc and Tandakora and beyond a doubt you bear another back to somebody.  We want to know about that too.  Oh, we want to know about many things!”

“I have no message,” stammered Garay.

“Your word is not good.  We shall find methods of making you talk.  You have been among the Indians and you ought to know something about these methods.  But first I must lecture you on your lack of woodcraft.  It is exceedingly unwise to build a fire in the wilderness and go to sleep beside it, unless there is someone with you to watch.  I’m ashamed of you, Monsieur Garay, to have neglected such an elementary lesson.  It made your capture easy, so ridiculously easy that it lacked piquancy and interest.  Tayoga and I were not able to give our faculties and strength the healthy exercise they need.  Come now, are you ready to walk?”

“What are you going to do with me?” asked Garay in French, which both of his captors understood and spoke.

“We haven’t decided upon that,” replied Robert maliciously, “but whatever it is we’ll make it varied and lively.  It may please you to know that we’ve been waiting several days for you, but we scarce thought you’d go to sleep squarely in the trail, just where we’d be sure to see you.  Stand up now and march like a man, ready to meet any fate.  Fortune has turned against you, but you still have the chance to show your Spartan courage and endurance.”