He secured at least fifty pounds, and then he looked with regret at the great body.  He was not one to slay animals for sport’s sake, and he wished that the rangers and Mohawks might have the hundreds of pounds of good moose meat, but he knew it was not destined for them.  As he drew away with his own burden his heirs to the rest were already showing signs of their presence.  From the thick bushes about came the rustling of light feet, and now and then an eager and impatient snarl.  Red eyes showed, and as he turned away the wolves of the hills made a wild rush for the fallen monarch.  Robert, for some distance, heard them yapping and snarling over the feast, and, despite his own success in securing what he needed so badly, he felt remorse because he had been compelled to give so fine an animal over to the wolves.

His heart grew light again as he made his way back to the defile and the cave.  He carried enough food to last Tayoga and himself many days, if necessity compelled them to remain long in the cave, but he did not forget in his triumph to take every precaution for the hiding of his trail, devoutly glad that it was hard ground, thick with stones, on which he could step from one to another.

Thus he returned, bearing his burden, and Tayoga, sitting near the entrance, rifle on knee, greeted him with becoming words as one whom Tododaho and Areskoui had guided to victory.

“It is well, Dagaeoga,” he said.  “I was wishing for you to find a moose and you found one.  You were not compelled to use the rifle!”

“No, the bow served, but I had to shoot two arrows where you would have shot only one.”

“It is no disgrace to you.  The bow is not the white man’s weapon, at least not on this continent.  You withdrew the arrows, cleaned them and returned them to the quiver?”

“Yes.  I didn’t forget that.  I know how precious arrows are, and now, Tayoga, since it’s important for you to get back your strength faster than a wounded man ever got it back before, I think we’d better risk a fire, and broil some of these fat, juicy steaks.”

“It is a danger, but we will do it.  You gather the dead wood and we will build the fire beside the mouth of the cave.  Both of us can cook.”

It was an easy task for two such foresters to light a fire with flint and steel, and they soon had a big bed of coals.  Then they broiled the steaks on the ends of sharpened sticks, passing them back and forth quickly, in order to retain the juices.

“Now, Tayoga,” announced Robert, “I have a word or two to say to you.”

“Then say them quickly and do not let your eloquence become a stream, because I am hungry and would eat, and where the moose steaks are plenty talk is needed but little.”

“I merely wished to tell you that besides being our hunter, I’m also the family doctor.  Hence I give you my instructions.”

“What are they, O youth of many words?”