I saw the two riflemen shoulder their long weapons and go forward in obedience to his orders; and when again I approached him he said: 

“They will make plain to Sullivan what your Indians may garble in repeating—­ that I mean to await the army in this place and save my party these useless miles of travelling.  Do you object?”

“Our men are not tired,” I said, astonished, “and our advanced guard can not be very far away.  Do you not think it more prudent for us to continue the movement toward our own people?”

“Very well—­ if you like,” he said indifferently.

After a few minutes’ inaction, he rose, sounded his whistle; the men got to their feet, fell in, and started, rifles a-trail.  But we had proceeded scarcely a dozen rods into the big timber when we discovered our two riflemen, who had so recently left us, running back toward us and looking over their shoulders as they ran.  When they saw us, they halted and shouted for us to hasten, as there were several Seneca Indians standing beside the trail ahead.

In a flash of intuition it came to me that here was a cleared runway to some trap.

“Don’t leave the trail!” I said to Boyd.  “Don’t be drawn out of it now.  For God’s sake hold your men and don’t give chase to those Indians.”

“Press on!” said Boyd curtly; and our little column trotted forward.

Something crashed in a near thicket and went off like a deer.  The men, greatly excited, strove to catch a glimpse of the running creature, but the bush was too dense.

Suddenly a rifleman, who was leading our rapid advance, caught sight of the same Senecas who had alarmed him and his companion; and he started toward them with a savage shout, followed by a dozen others.

Hanierri turned to Boyd and begged him earnestly not to permit any pursuit.  But Boyd pushed him aside impatiently, and blew the view-halloo on his ranger’s whistle; and in a moment we all were scattering in full pursuit of five lithe and agile Senecas, all in full war-paint, who appeared to be in a panic, for they ran through the thickets like terrified sheep, huddling and crowding on one another’s heels.

“Boyd!” I panted, catching up with him.  “This whole business looks like a trap to me.  Whistle your men back to the trail, for I am certain that these Senecas are drawing us toward their main body.”

“We’ll catch one of them first,” he said; and shouted to Murphy to fire and cripple the nearest.  But the flying Senecas had now vanished into a heavily-wooded gully, and there was nothing for Murphy to fire at.

I swung in my tracks, confronting Boyd.

“Will you halt your people before it is too late?” I demanded.  “Where are your proper senses?  You behave like a man who has lost his mental balance!”

He gave me a dazed look, where he had been within his rights had he cut me down with his hatchet.

“What did you say?” he stammered, passing his hand over his eyes as though something had obscured his sight.