OFF TO CROWN POINT
It was with happy hearts that Seth and Reuben followed Major Rogers.
Reuben rejoiced in having his great desire gratified, while Seth not
only shared in his friend's joy, but was glad on his own account,
because they would not now be separated, but could serve side by side
against the enemy.
"I hope the Major will soon be starting out again," said Reuben, "and
will take us both with him. I'm just longing to be off on a scout,
ain't you, Seth?"
"Indeed I am," answered Seth. "It's so tiresome hanging around the
fort. If the French or the Indians would only have a try at us now and
then, I'd like it better."
This being their frame of mind, the delight with which they heard
that Colonel Glasier had given instruction to Major Rogers to make as
thorough as possible an examination of the strength of the enemy at
Crown Point and the fortifications they were constructing there may be
readily understood, and also how anxious they were to find out whether
or not they would form part of the scouting party.
Upon this point they were kept in uncertainty until a short time before
the Rangers were to set out, and they had almost resigned themselves to
being left behind when to their vast relief the Major sent for them,
and in his abrupt way commanded them to be ready to start in half an
hour.
They had no trouble in obeying the order, and at the appointed time the
scouting party, numbering fifty in all, marched away from the fort,
every man in the best of spirits and ready for any adventure or danger
that might be encountered.
At this time of year the bosom of the lake was so covered with snow
that it was not possible to skate, and they took snow-shoes instead,
carrying them strapped upon their backs until they should be needed.
Every one of Rogers' Rangers was almost as expert in the use of the
snow-shoes as were the Canadians, from whom they had learned their
value, and Seth and Reuben were very glad that they had made themselves
proficient in the art of the _raquette_ during the days of inaction at
the fort when they found they could keep their places in the swiftly
moving party without any difficulty.
The route chosen by Major Rogers lay well to the west of Lake George,
and for the first day the Rangers kept together, as there was slight
chance of meeting with any of the enemy.
But on the following days more precautions against being ambushed were
taken, the company breaking up into detachments, which followed one
another at a little distance, the whole party reuniting at mid-day and
at sundown.
By this shrewd arrangement the risk of them all falling into the hands
of the enemy was greatly reduced, as those in the lead could give
warning to those in the rear, and, though they might suffer themselves,
enable their comrades to beat a retreat if the odds were all against
them, or dash forward to the support of the vanguard if there was
anything like equal terms to be had.
Advancing thus, they made their way undiscovered and unopposed through
the trackless forest, startling the wild beasts from their lairs, and
flushing many a covey of plump partridges, which strongly tempted them
to use their guns; but their leader had sternly forbidden the firing
of a shot except at the enemy. He was not going to have his presence
betrayed for the sake of a bit of game.
Seth and Reuben managed to keep together and yet to extend their
acquaintance among the members of the band. For the most part they
found them congenial companions, although all were their seniors in age
as well as in service, and the gatherings around the campfire at night,
when pipes were out and stories swapped, were very pleasant after the
long day's tramping over rough ground.
At length, seven days after setting out from the fort, they arrived
within a mile of Crown Point, and, having concealed themselves in a
thickly wooded hollow, where they were open to attack from only one
direction, they awaited the further direction of their commander.
Every man fully realized the peril of the situation, and yet they were
all in the highest spirits.
"I wonder how long it will take the French to find out we are so near
them," said Seth to Reuben, with a smile of unconcern. "What wouldn't
they give to know just where we are! I suppose they'd see how soon they
could surround us and take us all prisoners."
"That would be their game most likely," responded Reuben, no less
lightly; "but they're not going to do it all the same. The Major knows
too much to be caught like a rat in a trap."
While the main body remained in the hollow, scouts were kept on all
sides to give warning if the enemy should appear, and in the mean while
Major Rogers, accompanied by a couple of his most trusted Rangers,
ventured to ascend a very steep mountain, from the summit of which they
could obtain a clear and full view of the fortification at Crown Point
and of the surrounding country.
The Major was highly pleased at gaining this point of view without
being discovered.
"Ah, ha!" he chuckled, as lying down upon his stomach, he peered over
the peak and saw the whole place spread out before him like a map,
with the French soldiers and the Canadians working away as busily as
beavers, while the Indians loafed lazily about, or sat curled up in
their blankets, as if they were quite above mere manual labor.
"Wouldn't it give our French friends a start if they knew we were
watching them? And what a fine fort they are building, to be sure! I
must make a plan of it to send to General Johnson. It's clear to me the
place can't be attacked too soon. The longer it's left the harder nut
it will be to crack. I must make the General understand that," and he
shook his head in the decisive way that was characteristic of him.
The position of the Rangers exposed them to the full power of the
wind and cold, but Major Rogers proceeded to make his plan of the
fortification as calmly as if he were in a comfortable room, and
did not stop until he had, in a rather rough yet quite intelligible
fashion, completed a sketch that would be of great value in the event
of an assault being made by the provincial forces in the future.
The rest of the Rangers "lay low" in their snug hiding-place, while
their leader was in the mountain-top, but so soon as he returned they
all moved out and made their way toward a little village situated about
half a mile from the fort.
Here, just before night fell, they went into ambush, one-half the party
taking their position on each side of the road connecting the village
with the fort, and settling down for the night as best they could on
the snow-covered ground.
Seth and Reuben curled up as close to each other as possible for mutual
warmth, and feeling it impossible to sleep on account of the cold,
talked through the long hours of darkness.
With the first break of day the Rangers were all awake and astir,
staying their hunger with such scanty fare as their nearly depleted
knapsacks provided, and seeing to it that their guns were ready for
instant use.
"Do not fire if you can help it, but make prisoners of whoever comes
along the road," was the Major's command, and with their nerves strung
up to the highest pitch of excitement they waited for victims.
Presently a Frenchman came into sight from the direction of the fort,
sauntering along in blissful ignorance of danger.
He was allowed to go unchallenged until well into the ambush, and then
Major Rogers, without permitting himself to be seen, called out in his
deep gruff voice:
"ArrĂȘtez!"
The soldier jumped as if he had been shot at this startling
interruption of his morning walk and came to an instant stop, while
with bulging eyes he stared in the direction whence the sound had come.
In order to make sure that the man was alone Major Rogers kept himself
and his men hidden for a few minutes longer, and then, when he was
satisfied on that point, ordered Seth to go forward and seize the
Frenchman.
On the latter perceiving only a youth coming toward him he regained his
courage somewhat, and showed signs of resisting, but the stern voice
of the Major bid him not be a fool, and the next instant the forms of
fifty armed men appeared on either side of the road.
This sight so terrified the poor fellow that he dropped upon his knees
and in his own tongue begged for mercy so piteously that Seth as he
laid hold of him was moved to say:
"Don't be so scared. We're not going to kill you. We're just taking you
prisoner."
The soldier could not understand his words, but he could the tone in
which they were uttered, and, looking into the face of his captor, he
said something which Seth on his part failed to comprehend, but which
really was a passionate promise to do whatever they wanted of him if
only they would spare his life.
"Bring him in here out of sight and don't stand there palavering,"
roared the Major, and Seth, whose attention had for the moment been
diverted by the Frenchman's flutterings, laid hold of him by the
shoulder and pushed him off the road into the trees, where he was
promptly bound and gagged so that he could not give them any trouble.
"That's one fish caught," said the Major grimly. "We'll see if we can't
land some more before the place gets too hot for us."
For the next hour no sign of life showed upon the road, and the Rangers
began to grow restless, as was natural enough, considering that they
were in so close proximity to the enemy, who might at any time come
out against them in such force that they could not hope to offer any
opposition, but must seek safety in flight.
At length, just when one of the Rangers had been sent across the road
by Major Rogers with a message for those on the other side, two more
Frenchmen appeared walking rapidly, as if upon an important mission.
"Look sharp now and nab those two fellows!" called the Major to his
men, but before they could obey the order the Frenchmen had caught
sight of the Ranger crossing the road.
Instantly they saw their danger, and, turning upon their heels, started
on the full run back to the fort.
"Catch them! Catch the scoundrels!" roared the Major, furious at the
possibility of their escaping him, and half a score of the Rangers set
off in pursuit, Seth and Reuben being among the number.
But good runners though they were, the fugitives were also fleet of
foot, and, moreover, they had the advantage of a considerable start,
and thus they managed to keep out of reach of their pursuers (who did
not dare use their guns, as the report would be heard at Crown Point),
until they got so near the fort that the Rangers were fain to abandon
the chase lest they themselves should be ambushed and cut off from
their companions.
Accordingly, much chagrined, they hastened back to where Major Rogers
awaited them with a face like a thundercloud.
"So you let them get away from you, eh?" he growled. "You're no better
than cows to run. You'd better practise up your running."
"We'll leave that to the Frenchies, Major," responded Lieutenant Stark
brightly. "We don't want to know how to run, but to stand and fight."
Instead of being incensed at this courageous sally, the Major allowed a
suspicion of a smile to lighten the gloom of his countenance, and with
a decided change of tone said:
"That's all right, Stark, as a general thing; but I reckon we'll show
more sense by doing a little running ourselves just now than by
staying here. Those two Frenchies will soon have the whole garrison out
after us."
There was no gainsaying the soundness of this, and so without more ado
the whole body of Rangers beat a retreat into the depths of the forest,
to remain there hidden until they could be sure that they were not
being hunted for by the garrison of Crown Point.