Chapter VIII: 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.