They launched the canoe and resumed their journey to the south, but when they had gone a few hundred yards Robert observed a black dot behind them on the lake.  Willet and Tayoga at once pronounced it a great Indian canoe, containing a dozen warriors at least.

“Canadian Indians, beyond a doubt,” said Tayoga, “and our enemies.  Perhaps Tandakora is among them.”

“Whether he is or not,” said Willet, “they’ve seen us and are in pursuit.  I suppose they stayed in another cove back of us while the storm passed.  It’s one case where our foresight couldn’t guard against bad luck.”

He spoke anxiously and looked up at the overhanging forest.  But there was no convenient cove now, and it was not possible for them to beach the canoe and take flight on land.  A new danger and a great one had appeared suddenly.  The long canoe, driven by a dozen powerful paddles, was approaching fast.

“Hurons, I think,” said Tayoga.

“Most likely,” said the hunter, “but whether Hurons or not they’re no friends of ours, and there’s hot work with the paddles before us.  They’re at least four rifleshots away and we have a chance.”

Now the three used their paddles as only those can who have life at stake.  Their light canoe leaped suddenly forward, and seemed fairly to skim over the water like some great aquatic bird, but the larger craft behind them gained steadily though slowly.  Three pairs of arms, no matter how strong or expert, are no match for twelve, and the hunter frowned as he glanced back now and then.

“Only three rifleshots now,” he muttered, “and before long it will be but two.  But we have better weapons than theirs, and ours can speak fast.  Easy now, lads!  We mustn’t wear ourselves out!”

Robert made his strokes slower.  The perspiration was standing on his face, and his breath was growing painful, but he remembered in time the excellence of Willet’s advice.  The gain of the long canoe increased more rapidly, but the three were accumulating strength for a great spurt.  The pursuit and flight, hitherto, had been made in silence, but now the Hurons, for such their paint proved them to be, uttered a long war whoop, full of anticipation and triumph, a cry saying plainly that they expected to have three good scalps soon.  It made Robert’s pulse leap with anger.

“They haven’t taken us yet,” he said.

Willet laughed.

“Don’t let ’em make you lose your temper,” he said.  “No, they haven’t taken us, and we’ve escaped before from such places just as tight.  They make faster time than we can, Robert, but our three rifles here will have a word or two to say.”

After the single war whoop the warriors relapsed into silence and plied their paddles, sure now of their prey.  They were experts themselves and their paddles swept the water in perfect unison, while the long canoe gradually cut down the distance between it and the little craft ahead.