_Hawk_ JOHN LATHAM Lieutenant of the British sloop, _Hawk_ EDWARD CHARTERIS A young officer of the Royal Americans ZEBEDEE CRANE A young scout and forest runner ROBERT ROGERS Famous Captain of American Rangers CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE HERALDS OF PERIL 1 II. THE KINDLY BRIDGE 22 III. THE FLIGHT 42 IV. A FOREST CONCERT 64 V. GATHERING FORCES 88 VI. THE DARK STRANGER 112 VII. ON THE GREAT TRAIL 136 VIII. ARESKOUI'S FAVOR 154 IX. ON ANDIATAROCTE 178 X. THE NAVAL COMBAT 198 XI. THE COMRADES 220 XII. THE SINISTER SIEGE 243 XIII. TANDAKORA'S GRASP 268 XIV. SHARP SWORD 289 XV. THE LAKE BATTLE 312 _The_ RULERS OF THE LAKES _A STORY OF GEORGE AND CHAMPLAIN_ CHAPTER I THE HERALDS OF PERIL The three, the white youth, the red youth, and the white man, lay deep in the forest, watching the fire that burned on a low hill to the west, where black figures flitted now and then before the flame. They did not stir or speak for a long time, because a great horror was upon them. They had seen an army destroyed a few days before by a savage but invisible foe. They had heard continually for hours the fierce triumphant yells of the warriors and they had seen the soldiers dropping by hundreds, but the woods and thickets had hid the foe who sent forth such a rain of death. Robert Lennox could not yet stop the quiver of his nerves when he recalled the spectacle, and Willet, the hunter, hardened though he was to war, shuddered in spite of himself at the memory of that terrible battle in the leafy wilderness. Nor was Tayoga, the young Onondaga, free from emotion when he thought of Braddock's defeat, and the blazing triumph it meant for the western tribes, the enemies of his people. They had turned back, availing themselves of their roving commission, when they saw that the victors were not pursuing the remains of the beaten army, and now they were watching the French and Indians. Fort Duquesne was not many miles away, but the fire on the hill had been built by a party of Indians led by a Frenchman, his uniform showing when he passed between eye and flame, the warriors being naked save for the breech cloth. "I hope it's not St. Luc," said Robert. "Why?" asked Willet. "He was in the battle. We saw him leading on the Indian hosts."