" Her sister's with the Iroquois .sx Here would be as good as anywhere else .sx " .sx " But .sx .. Henry Murray said the furs are on an island .sx How will she make her way to the mainland ?sx And the Iroquois are fighting us .sx What will they do to her if they learn she's been travelling with us ?sx With you ?sx " .sx " Tissee's a resourceful girl .sx She'll think of some way to reach the mainland .sx Anyway , the longer she takes , the less likelihood there'll be of the Iroquois coming after us .sx That's if she decides to tell them she's been travelling with men of the Upper Canada Trading Company .sx " .sx " Don't you care what happens to her ?sx " James Cameron's impassioned question surprised him as much as it did anyone else .sx " I know I've only been here a short while , but from what I've seen Tissee is both loyal and hardworking .sx Doesn't that count for anything ?sx " .sx " Any suggestion that loyalty and service deserves reward is a mockery coming from the tongue of a Cameron of Glenelg .sx I'm a Highlander too , Sir James Cameron .sx There are many of us in Canada .sx When we get together we exchange news of what's happening back home .sx The last I heard of Glenelg , loyalty and service were being trampled underfoot by Lowland sheep .sx Are you trying to tell me that 'loyalty' means something when dealing with Indians , but can be disregarded when Highlanders are involved ?sx Is that what you think ?sx Not that it matters , I don't give a damn either way .sx When we leave the island bound for Detroit , Tissee stays behind .sx Now , let's head for the shore and find these furs .sx " .sx The exchange between the two men had been carried on in low voices , but it had been heard by most of the men in the two boats and Cameron seethed with anger .sx When they returned to Murrayton he intended making Urquhart pay dearly for speaking to him this way in front of the other trappers .sx Scotsman and fine trapper he might be , but no one spoke to James Cameron in such a manner .sx As the large canoes nosed through reeds to run aground on the soft mud of the island's shore , the leading men in each canoe leaped over the side and hauled the two craft farther on land .sx As other men jumped ashore the craft were pulled well clear of the water and hidden amongst the trees at the water's edge .sx " Where are the pelts ?sx " .sx One of the trappers from Cameron's canoe put the question to Dan Urquhart .sx " They should be about twenty paces in from that rock .sx " Urquhart pointed to a long , rounded rock jutting out from the island , at right angles from the shoreline .sx " We'll load the canoes then make camp .sx " .sx By now the sun had dragged itself clear of the waters of the eastern end of the lake and was beginning its ascent into an almost cloudless sky .sx " Tissee , get a fire going .sx We'll have something to eat .sx .. do you fish ?sx " The question was put to James Cameron .sx " Of course .sx " .sx " You'll find a couple of lines in my canoe .sx Take some corn for bait and try your luck .sx " .sx James found the lines , each fitted with a number of hooks , and he made his way along the wooded shoreline , seeking a spot clear of reeds .sx It was a very large island , probably about seven miles long and equally as wide and James had no difficulty finding a suitable place from which to fish .sx He chose a spot about a half-mile from the camp .sx Here there was a large , flat rock which extended out beyond the reeds into clearer water .sx James had been fishing without success for some minutes when Tissee came along the edge of the tree-line , gathering dead wood .sx Seeing Cameron , she stopped .sx " You catch many fish ?sx " .sx " Not one .sx " .sx Tissee laughed .sx It was a pleasant sound and it effectively dulled the edge of her next words .sx " You do not belong here .sx You should be with your own people , in a place where others do things for you .sx But I teach you catch fish .sx " .sx Dropping the armful of wood to the ground .sx Tissee scrambled out on the rock to join James .sx It was narrow at the end where he was standing , and she had to clasp him about the waist in order to pass by .sx Pulling in the line , she inspected the hooks .sx Making soft sounds of disapproval , Tissee stripped the bait from each hook , discarding the large , yellow grains of corn into the water .sx Speedily and efficiently re-baiting the hooks she swung the line , pendulum-style back and forth a couple of times , before lobbing it with impressive accuracy to land within inches of the rushes .sx She jerked on the line almost immediately and hauled it in .sx James was mortified to see that Tissee had hooked not one , but two wildly-flapping , silver-scaled fish .sx The smile Tissee directed at him contained more delight than triumph , and James shook his head in rueful acceptance of her superior fishing skill .sx Tissee dropped the fish to the rock at her feet and was unhooking them when she and James heard the sound of two shots - they came from the direction of the camp .sx As Tissee straightened up they heard more shots .sx Sliding past him , Tissee jumped from the rock and began running in the direction of the camp .sx James followed .sx Fortunately for the Scots baronet and the Indian girl , they were still in the shadow of the trees when they came within view of the lakeside camp .sx A whole host of Indians were swarming around the trappers , wielding axes and knives and discharging guns at point-blank range .sx Cameron identified Urquhart immediately , his red hair and large build unmistakable among the trappers who still remained on their feet .sx He stood as solid as a great bear , wielding an empty rifle and surrounded by yelping , aggressive Indians .sx As James watched , the big Scotsman beat off three attackers in quick succession , but the odds against him were too great .sx Watching in helpless horror , James saw a bloody axe raised in the air and brought crashing down upon the head of Dan Urquhart .sx The giant trapper sank to the ground and as he disappeared in the midst of a stabbing and hacking crowd the hullaballoo reached a new crescendo .sx Tissee's hand gripped Cameron's arm .sx Exhibiting no visible signs of emotions at what she too had just witnessed , she said simply , " Come .sx " .sx Pulling him after her , Tissee fled back the way they had come , keeping to the shadow of the trees .sx At the rock they had so recently deserted , she paused to retrieve the fish she had caught before resuming their flight .sx " Where are we going ?sx " James asked the question breathlessly , unused to such strenuous activity .sx " We hide .sx " .sx " Why have your people attacked us ?sx " .sx " They are not my people .sx They are Crees .sx Bad for you , bad for me .sx " .sx James thought of the savage scene he had just witnessed and he shuddered .sx " What of the others ?sx Some may still be alive .sx " .sx " None of the trappers still alive .sx My man , the others .sx .. all dead .sx " .sx James looked quickly for some sign of anguish on Tissee's face ; he saw none .sx " Don't you care about what's just happened to them , Tissee ?sx To Urquhart .sx .. your man ?sx Coming to an abrupt halt , Tissee looked up at him defiantly .sx " You think I should tear my hair because my man is dead ?sx You want me to make plenty noise and bring Crees to us ?sx Maybe you think they say , 'Sorry , Tissee .sx We not know one trapper your man ?sx ' No .sx If I stop to be sad they kill me .sx Then kill you .sx We hide , long way from here .sx Then I have time feel sad in here .sx " .sx As Tissee put a hand to her heart , James knew that she had put him firmly in his place for asking such a stupid question .sx He told himself that the slaughter he had just witnessed must have induced a state of shock in him .sx Tissee led the way along the shore for about a mile , wading knee deep in the water of the lake in order to leave no footprints when they reached a stretch of smooth , unmarked sand .sx Soon after this they came to a swift-running stream that emptied itself into the lake .sx Keeping to the centre of the stream , Tissee led the way inland , sometimes pushing her way through undergrowth so dense they would have made no progress had they left the water .sx They followed the narrowing stream for about a mile before Tissee stooped beneath the low-hanging branches of a tree and dropped to her hands and knees .sx Crawling ashore , she led Cameron through the undergrowth until they reached a small gap between two bushes .sx " We stay here .sx " .sx " For how long ?sx " .sx Tissee shrugged .sx " We sleep now .sx When we wake , we talk about it .sx " .sx " What if the Crees come looking for us ?sx We have no guns .sx " .sx " Too much whisky in camp for them to look for us .sx They drink , sleep , maybe look around for while .sx Then they go .sx Take furs to Nor' West company store .sx " .sx " How do you think they knew where to find the furs ?sx " .sx Tissee shook her head .sx " If they see Murray hide furs they would steal and sell .sx I think maybe Nor' West company man see and pay them to wait for us to come for them .sx " .sx James found it difficult to accept her explanation .sx " You mean someone - a white man paid the Crees to wait for us to arrive .sx .. and to kill us ?sx " .sx " You think such things not done by white men ?sx That only Indians kill people ?sx " Tissee looked at Cameron scornfully .sx " Dan said you know nothing of this land .sx .. .sx " .sx Suddenly Tissee stopped talking and an expression of anguish contorted her face .sx James realised that the memory of Dan Urquhart's death had come flooding back to her .sx " I'm sorry , Tissee .sx .. .sx " .sx " Sleep .sx Maybe tonight we go back see what Crees are doing .sx " .sx James Cameron was convinced that he would not be able to sleep , and the prospect of going back to check on the Crees alarmed him .sx Yet it was with a sense of guilt that he realised that the sight of his companions being hacked and clubbed to death had neither frightened nor horrified him .sx There had been almost a thrill to it , a sense of great excitement .sx He was still re-living the details of the massacre when he fell asleep .sx James Cameron awoke with a start , convinced he had heard voices .sx Then he realised that he was listening to the chatter of a bird somewhere nearby in the forest .sx Sitting up , he looked about him for Tissee but she was nowhere to be seen .sx He experienced a moment of panic .sx What if she had deserted him ?sx Worse , what if Tissee had decided to betray him to the Crees , in exchange for her own safety ?sx Gradually , common-sense overrode the confusion of his sleep-befuddled mind .sx Tissee could have deserted him when they heard the first shots at the edge of the lake , or later in the forest .sx She would hardly have gone to such lengths to find a secure hiding-place had she intended handing him over to the Crees , and turning him over to them would be no guarantee of her own safety .sx He relaxed .sx Tissee would not be far away .sx She had probably gone off to find food - berries or something similar .sx He hoped so .sx He was ravenously hungry .sx Hunger might be the immediate problem , but James knew that finding a way off the island and making his way back to Murrayton was the most important issue .sx He had no experience of surviving in such a hostile environment and would need to rely entirely upon Tissee's skill and knowledge .sx Tissee did not return to the hiding-place until another hour had elapsed .sx Her arrival was so silent that she startled him .sx One moment he was alone , the next he looked up to see Tissee standing before him .sx In her hands she carried a rifle , a powder-horn and a large leather pouch , attached to which was a rolled blanket .sx " You've been back to the camp !sx