Let him die by the rope he dreads more than the stake.

For all Indians fear the rope, Loskiel, which chokes them so that they can not sing their death-song.

There is not one of us who has not courage to sing his death-song at the stake; but who can sing when he is being choked to death by a rope ?" I nodded, looking uneasily toward the river where the two Seneca spies lurked unseen as yet by me.
"Let the men sling their packs," I said.
"They have done so, Loskiel." "Very well.

Our order of march will be the same as yesterday.

We keep the Wyandotte between us." "That is wisdom." "Is it to be a running fight, Mayaro ?" "Perhaps, if their main body comes up." "Then we had best start across the Ouleout, unless you mean to ford the Susquehanna." The Sagamore shook his head with a grimace, saying that it would be easier to swim the Susquehanna at Tioga than to ford it here.
Very quietly we drew in or picked up our pickets, including the ruffianly Wyandotte, or Erie, as he was now judged to be, and, filing as we had filed the night before we crossed the Ouleout and entered the forest.
Two hours later the Oneida in the rear, Tahoontowhee, reported that the Seneca scouts were on our heels, and asked permission to try for a scalp.
By noon he had taken his second scalp, and had received his first wound, a mere scratch from a half-ounce ball, below the knee.