Having thus taken measures to inform his uncle of his departure and the mission on which he had set forth, Rene tightened his belt, shouldered his cross-bow, and turned into the dark pine forest.  He made his way swiftly down the river-bank towards the appointed place of meeting, where he hoped to find Has-se still waiting for him, though it was already past the hour that the latter had mentioned.  On the way he stopped and recovered the package of trinkets that he had hidden in the forest that afternoon.

As he neared the little stream on the bank of which the Indian lad had promised to await his coming, he uttered the cry of Hup-pe the great owl, which was the signal Has-se had taught him.  To his joy it was immediately answered from a short distance in advance.  In another moment he stood beside his friend, who without a word led him to where a canoe was hidden beneath some overhanging branches.  They stepped in, a few strong strokes of the paddles shot them clear of the creek, the bow of their craft was turned down-stream, and ere a word had been spoken between them, they were gliding swiftly down the glassy moonlit surface of the great river towards its mouth.

CHAPTER VI

THE JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF FOOD

As the paddles flashed brightly in the moonshine, and the light craft in which Rene and Has-se were seated moved swiftly and silently down the broad river, the former related to his companion all the particulars of his leaving the fort, and the delays that had detained him past their appointed time of meeting.  As he concluded his story, Has-se, who until then had remained silent, said,

“Thou hast done well, Ta-lah-lo-ko, and thy success at the outset is proof to me that the Great Spirit favors our undertaking.”

Rene was not so convinced of this as his companion, for he was not at all certain that he was acting rightly; but he did not seek to disturb the other’s confidence, and only said,

“Now tell me of thy escape, Has-se; for I must confess that I would have deemed it impossible, and am not a little concerned to find Fort Caroline such a sieve as thy easy leave-taking would seem to prove it.”

Has-se was silent for some minutes, and then he said,

“I would have no secrets from thee, my brother, and would gladly tell thee that thou askest; but I may not now, though at another time my tongue may be loosed.  For the present I am bound not to reveal that which must needs be known were the manner of my escape described to thee.”

Rene felt somewhat hurt at this answer, which seemed to imply a want of confidence in him; but he knew his friend’s character too well to press the subject further, and so, smothering his curiosity, he turned the conversation to other things.

After they had travelled for several miles down the river, Has-se turned the bow of the canoe into a sluggish bayou, that wound, with innumerable turnings, amid vast limitless expanses of salt-marsh.  This stream led into others that formed such a maze that it seemed to Rene impossible that they should ever discover a way out of it.