Every one of them carried with him a bundle of fagots, and in this case half of the bundle was red and half white.  When they stopped each sachem put his bundle of fagots on the ground, and sat down before it, while an assistant sachem came and stood behind him.  Tododaho took flint and steel from his pouch, set fire first to his own fagots and then to all the others, after which he took the pipe of peace, lighted it from one of the fires, and, drawing upon it three times, blew one puff of smoke toward the center of the heavens, another upon the ground, and the last directly toward the rising sun.

“He gives thanks,” whispered Tayoga, to Robert, “first to Manitou, who has kept us alive, next to our great mother, the Earth, who has produced the food that we eat and who sends forth the water that we drink, and last to the Sun, who lights and warms us.”

Robert thought it a beautiful ceremony, full of idealism, and he nodded his thanks to Tayoga while he still watched.  Tododaho passed the pipe to the sachem on his right, who took the three puffs in a similar manner, and thus it was passed to all, the entire act requiring a long time, but at its end the fourteen Onondaga sachems and the thirty-six visiting sachems sat down together and under the presidency of Tododaho the council was opened.

“But little will be done today,” said Tayoga.  “It is merely what you call at the Albany school a preliminary.  The really great meeting will be after the Maple Dance, and then we shall know what stand the Hodenosaunee will take in the coming war.”

Robert turned away and came face to face with St. Luc.  He had known that the chevalier was somewhere in the vale of Onondaga, but in his absorption in the Iroquois ceremonies he had forgotten about him.  Now he realized with full force that he had come to meet the Frenchman and to measure himself against him.  Yet he could not hide from himself a certain gladness at seeing him and it was increased by St. Luc’s frank and gay manner.

“I was sure that we should soon meet again, Mr. Lennox,” he said, “and it has come to pass as I predicted and hoped.  And you too, Mr. Willet!  I greet you both.”

He offered a hand to each, and the hunter, as well as Robert, shook it without hesitation.

“You reached Quebec and fulfilled your mission?” he said, giving Robert a keen look of inquiry.

“Yes, but not without event,” replied the youth.

“I take it from your tone that the event was of a stirring nature.”

“It was rather a chain of events.  The Ojibway chief, Tandakora, whom we first saw with you, objected to our presence in the woods.”

St. Luc frowned and then laughed.

“For that I am sorry,” he said.  “I would have controlled the Ojibway if I could, but he is an unmitigated savage.  He left me, and did what he chose.  I hope you do not hold me responsible for any attacks he may have made upon you, Mr. Lennox.”