"You never would have if we hadn't stopped so as not to lose you," answered Dick.
"Sometimes you are right, not, and this is it," said Fritz.
"Which way now, chief?" asked Dick of the Indian.
"You can follow Telca," said he, and speaking to his bow companion, the chief suddenly drove his own craft out ahead of the others and with a quick succession of powerful strokes was soon several lengths in the lead.
Dick Dare and his party were soon after the flying leaders, but the chief and his paddling mate were well matched, and strain as they might, the others could do no more than hold their own, and never gained a foot. If they had started to overtake Telca, he could undoubtedly have drawn away from them with a little added effort, for the two in the foremost canoe seemed not to be exerting themselves to their fullest.
Half an hour's paddling of this kind brought the leaders almost over to the other shore, and some distance further to the West. The chief now ceased paddling entirely and held his shining blade in the air as a sign for the others to slow up with him. Their nearness to the shore made silence necessary, and when the sternmost craft had come up, they all moved forward very cautiously.
"That was warm work," said Dick quietly. "The chief can certainly give us lessons in paddling."
"Another half minute and I surely haf been a deader," replied Fritz. "Such vork I nefer did yet, in veeks before."