“I will go out and catch it,” said Running Fox.
He skulked through the bushes as cautiously as a fox. When he reached the spot where the canoe had struck he stopped to search the river for foes. Then he saw the canoe swinging stern foremost down the river. He realized that in another moment it would be beyond his reach. Throwing caution to the winds, Running Fox rushed boldly into the water and seized the prize. As he had guessed, it was unoccupied. As he drew it toward him it left a tell-tale mark in the gravel. However, he made no attempt to erase it, for he hoped that any one following on the trail would find it and be deceived. It made it appear that, having lodged for a time at that spot, the canoe had finally floated free and drifted down the river.
Once in actual possession of the canoe, Running Fox signaled for Spotted Deer to join him. They waded with the prize until they found a safe hiding place, and then they dragged it into the bushes. They had found a long hickory bow and a buckskin quiver filled with arrows in the bottom of the canoe.
“This is very strange,” said Running Fox, as he examined the weapons.
The lads saw at once that they were different in pattern from their own, and they had little doubt that they were of Iroquois design. Still they were not sure. They stared at them in amazement. The whole affair was a great mystery. They would have given much to know how far the canoe had come, and how the weapons happened to be in it.
“Whoever left these things in that canoe was very foolish,” said Spotted Deer.
“Well, I see that he kept the paddle,” replied Running Fox.
“That is true, I did not see that,” said Spotted Deer.
At first the Delawares were inclined to keep the weapons, and hide the canoe in the woods until they returned down the river on their way to the Delaware camp. It would have been a splendid trophy, and they dreaded to lose it, but Running Fox finally decided to set it adrift.
“This canoe has floated away, and some one will come down here looking for it,” he said. “If they do not find it, they will become suspicious. Perhaps they will look for our trail. We have a long journey to make, and we are in great danger. We will not take any chances. Come, we will keep the weapons, and give up the canoe.”