Captain Colden laughed, but it was the slightly hysterical laugh of
relief. He was bent upon doing his task, and, since the Lord had
carried him so far through a mighty danger, the disappointment of
losing the supplies would have been almost too much to bear.

"You're sure it's they, Mr. Willet?" he said.

"Of course. Didn't I tell you it wasn't possible for another such
party of fools to be here in the wilderness, and that the God of the
white man and the Manitou of the red man taking pity on their
simplicity and innocence have protected them?"

"I like to think what you say is true, Mr. Willet."

"It's true. Be not afraid that it isn't. Now, I think we'd better stop
here, and let Robert and Tayoga go ahead, spy 'em out and make
signals. It would be just like 'em to blaze away at us the moment they
saw the bushes move with our coming."

Captain Colden was glad to take his advice, and the white youth and
the red went forward silently through the forest, hearing the sound of
cheerful voices, as they drew near to the campfire which was a large
one blazing brightly. They also heard the sound of horses moving and
they knew that the detachment had taken no harm. Tayoga parted the
bushes and peered forth.

"Look!" he said. "Surely they are watched over by Manitou!"

About twenty men, or rather boys, for all of them were very young,
were standing or lying about a fire. A tall, very ruddy youth in the