The canoe was light and well made, and darted quickly over the water
under the strokes of the two paddlers. It was late in the afternoon
when they started, and before they had gone many miles darkness had
fallen. The canoe was run in close to shore, where she lay in the
shadow of the trees until morning. Just as the sun rose the redskin
and Peter simultaneously dipped their paddles in the water and sent
the canoe under the arches of the trees. They had at the same instant
caught sight of four canoes making their way along the lake.

"Them's Injuns," Peter whispered. "They're scouting to see if the
lake's free. If the general could have got a couple of gunboats up
the Sorrel the enemy could never have crossed the lake, and it would
have given them a month's work to take their guns round it. It's
lucky we were well under the trees or we should have been seen. What
had we best do, Deer Tail?"

For two or three minutes the scouts conversed together in the Indian
tongue.

"The Seneca agrees with me," Peter said. "It's like enough there are
Injuns scouting along both shores. We must lay up here till
nightfall. Ef we're seen they'd signal by smoke, and we should have
them canoes back again in no time. By their coming I expect the
expedition is starting, but it won't do to go back without being sure
of it."

The canoe was paddled to a spot where the bushes grew thickly by the
bank. It was pushed among these, and the three, after eating some
cooked deer's flesh which they had brought with them, prepared to
pass the day.