faced boy was seated beside the bed whereon lay Fritz,
who felt like a man awakening from a long, strange, and rather
frightful dream. He had become unconscious almost immediately after
their rescue three days before, and had only now recovered the use
of his faculties and the memory of recent events.

"You had a bad wound on the side of your head when we found you,"
explained Colin. "My uncle, the Abbe, says that had it been left
much longer untended you must have died. He is an excellent surgeon
himself, having learned much as to the treatment of wounds and
bruises and sicknesses of all kinds. He is well pleased with its
appearance now, and with your state of health. He says that you
Rangers are marvellous tough customers, whether as soldiers or as
patients. You take a great deal of killing!"

Fritz smiled in response to the boy's bright look, but there was
anxiety in his face too.

"Can you tell me aught of the Rangers?" he said. "You, doubtless,
know how we were set upon and dispersed a few days back."

"Yes; and our Captain of the fort is right glad at it," said the
boy, "for Rogers led him a dog's life with his raids and robberies.
But all is fair in love and war, and it is not for us to complain
of what we ourselves have provoked and should do in like
circumstances. Nevertheless there is rejoicing at Ticonderoga that
the Rangers are dispersed and broken for the present. We were
beginning to fear lest they should take away from us all our
provision and cut off our supplies."

"Do you know how many were slain?"

"No; but it must have been a considerable number. I am sorry
myself. I delight in all brave deeds of daring, and it is the
Rangers who have shown themselves the heroes of this campaign. At
first they said Rogers himself had been killed, but that has since
been contradicted. For myself I do not believe it. The dead were
carefully examined by one who knew Rogers well, and he declares
there is no corpse that in any way resembles him; and others
declare that he was seen escaping to the forest, fighting every
inch of the way, with a resolute little band around him whom none
cared to follow."

"I myself saw something of that," answered Fritz; "but it all seems
like a dream of long ago. Tell me now of those who were with
me--Captain Pringle and the lad Roche. Are they here, and unhurt of
the Indians?"

"They are sound and well, and though sorely exhausted by cold and
hunger and fatigue when they were b