They carried the canoe without difficulty through the woods, and when
they came to the falls they stopped a little while to look at the
descent, and listen to the roar of the tumbling water.

"I was here once before, three years ago," said Willet.

"Others have been here much later," said the Onondaga.

"What do you mean, Tayoga?"

"My white brother is not looking. Let him turn his eyes to the left. He
will see two wild flowers broken off at the stem, a feather which has
not fallen from the plumage of a bird, because the quill is painted, and
two traces of footsteps in the earth."

"As surely as the sun shines, you're right, Tayoga! Warriors have
passed here, though we can't tell how many! But the traces are not
more'n a half day old."

He picked up the feather and examined it carefully.

"That fell from a warrior's scalplock," he said, "but we don't know to
what tribe the warrior belonged."

"But it's likely to be a hostile trail," said Robert.

Tayoga nodded, and then the three considered. It was only a fragment of
a trail they had seen, but it told them danger was near. Where they were
traveling strangers were enemies until they were proved to be friends,