"Shadows gather over the great nations beyond the seas. The French king
and the English king begin to look upon each other with hostile eyes."

Tayoga was silent.

"But Onontio, who stands in the French king's place at Quebec, is the
friend of the Hodenosaunee. The French and the great Six Nations are
friends."

"There was Frontenac," said Tayoga quietly.

"It was long ago."

"He came among us when the Six Nations were the Five, burned our houses
and slew our warriors! Our old men have told how they heard it from
their fathers. We did not have guns then, and our bows and arrows were
not a match for the muskets of the French. But we have muskets and
rifles now, plenty of them, the best that are made."

Tayoga's eyes were still veiled, and his face was without expression,
but his words were full of meaning. Robert glanced at St. Luc, who could
not fail to understand. The chevalier was still smooth and smiling.

"Frontenac was a great man," he said, "but he has been gathered long
since to his fathers. Great men themselves make mistakes. There was bad
blood between Onontio and the Hodenosaunee, but if the blood is bad must
it remain bad forever? The evil was gone before you and I were born,
Tayoga, and now the blood flows pure and clean in the veins of both the
French and the Hodenosaunee."