It is not a time to cumber yourself with me." "If I lay there as you are, and you stood here as I am would you leave me ?" asked Robert.
The Onondaga was silent.
"You know you wouldn't," continued Robert, "and you know I won't.
Listen, the battle comes nearer.

St.Luc must have received a reenforcement." He leaned forward a little, cupping his ear with his right hand, and he heard distinctly all the sounds of a fierce and terrible conflict, rifle shots, yells of the savages, shouts of the rangers, and once or twice he thought he saw faintly the flashes of rifles as they were fired in the thickets.
"Go," said Tayoga again.

"I can see that your spirit turns to the battle.

They may not find me, and, perhaps in a day, I shall be able to walk and take care of myself." Robert made no reply in words, but once more he lifted the Onondaga in his sinewy arms, settled his weight against his left shoulder and resumed his walk away from the battle.

Tayoga did not speak, and Robert soon saw that he had relapsed again into unconsciousness.