“Do you think we can hold ’em off, Tayoga?” the hunter said to the Onondaga, who was by his side.

“Aye, Great Bear, we can,” replied Tayoga.  “They will not be able to enter our camp here, but this is not their spearhead.  They expect to thrust through on the side of the water, where they have come swimming.  Hark to the shouts behind us!”

“And the two lads, Robert and the young Englishman, have gone there.  I think you judge aright about that being their spearhead.  We’ll go there too!”

Choosing a moment when they were not observed by the others, lest it might be construed as a withdrawal in the face of force, they slipped away from the logs.  It was easy to find such an opportunity as the camp was now full of smoke from the firing, drifting over everything and often hiding the faces of the combatants from their comrades only a few yards away.

But the battle raged most fiercely along the water’s edge.  There it was hand to hand, and for a while it looked as if the dusky warriors would make good their footing.  To the defenders it seemed that the lake spewed them forth continually, and that they would overwhelm with weight of numbers.  Yet the gallant borderers would not give back, and encouraging one another with resounding cheers they held the doubtful shore.  Into this confused and terrible struggle Willet and Tayoga hurled themselves, and their arrival was most opportune.

“Push ’em back, lads!  Push ’em back!  Into the water with ’em!” shouted the stalwart hunter, and emptying rifle and pistol he clubbed the former, striking terrific blows.  Tayoga, tomahawk in hand, went up and down like a deadly flame.  Soldiers and borderers came to the danger point, and the savages were borne back.  Not one of them coming from the water was able to enter the camp.  The terrible line of lead and steel that faced them was impassable, and all the time the tremendous shouts of Willet poured fresh courage and zeal into the young troops and the borderers.

“At ’em, lads!  At ’em!” he cried.  “Push ’em back!  Throw ’em into the water!  Show ’em they can’t enter our camp, that the back door, like the front door, is closed!  That’s the way!  Good for you, Grosvenor!  A sword is a deadly weapon when one knows how to use it!  A wonderful blow for you, Tayoga!  But you always deal wonderful ones!  Careful, Robert!  ’Ware the tomahawk!  Now, lads, drive ’em!  Drive ’em hard!”

The men united in one mighty rush that the warriors could not withstand.  They were hurled back from the land, and, after their fashion when a blow had failed, they quit in sudden and utter fashion.  Springing into the water, and swimming with all their power, they disappeared in the heavy darkness which now hovered close to shore.  Many of the young soldiers, carried away by the heat of combat, were about to leap into the lake and follow them, but Willet, running up and down, restrained their eager spirits.