Without warning, taking Lea wholly by surprise, at the edge of the thickets the savages knelt abruptly and shot their arrows.
"Why—" Momentarily she lost her poise.
The young brave beside her drew her back behind a tree-trunk. It startled her. But she saw that he was reverential.
"We will go no farther," he said. "Drive them away."
The lust of battle abruptly swept over the young Indians. With the launching of the first arrow they seemed to forget Lea. The forest rang with their shouts. They spread out; creeping forward. And then with flint and steel bartered from the pale-face, they set their arrows into flame. And launched them.
The young leader standing by Lea murmured: "They are running! See them go—off there—running for their village. The fort will burn."
It was already burning. Dry walls and roof; the flaming arrows struck and caught the bark. Spots of spreading flame.
"Wait!" commanded Lea. "Enough!" She stopped them at last. The fort was blazing. The Dutchmen had decamped.
She added: "Come!" But the young Indians feared to advance; suddenly fearful of what they had done; the great pale-face village could pour out many wrathful men upon occasion.
"Then stay here," said Lea hurriedly.