s head--a fashion
speedily imitated by officers and men alike, who all adored him. He
suggested that skirtless coats would be more easy to march in than
the heavy ones in vogue, and forthwith all the skirts were cut off,
and the coats became short jackets, scarcely reaching the waist.

The men laughed at their droll appearance, but felt the freedom and
increased marching power; and as Lord Howe wore just such a coat
himself, who could complain? He wore leggings of leather, such as
were absolutely needful to forest journeys, and soon his men did
the same. No women were to be allowed to follow his contingent; and
as for washing of clothes, why, Lord Howe was seen going down to
the river side to wash his own, and the fashion thus set was
followed enthusiastically by his men.

If their baggage was cut down to a minimum, they were each ordered
to carry thirty pounds of meal in a bag; so that it was soon seen
that Lord Rowe's contingent could not only walk further and faster
in march than any other, but that it would be independent of the
supply trains for pretty nearly a month. They carried their own
bread material, and the forest would always supply meat.

Fritz was ever forward to carry out the wishes and act as the right
hand of the hardy Brigadier; for that was Lord Howe's military
rank. Pringle and Roche served under him, too, and there was a warm
bond growing up betwixt officers and men, and a feeling of
enthusiasm which seemed to them like an augury of victory to come.

"Our business is to fight the foe--to do our duty whether we live
or die," Howe would say to his men. "We have failed before; we may
fail again. Never mind; we shall conquer at last. With results the
soldier has nothing to do. Remember that. He does his duty. He
sticks to his post. He obeys his commands. Do that, men; and
whether we conquer or die, we shall have done our duty, and that is
all our country asks of us."

And now the long days of June had come, and all were eager for the
opening campaign. Ticonderoga was to be attacked. To wrest from the
French some of their strong holds on the western English border--to
break their power in the sight of the Indians--was a thing that was
absolutely necessary to the life of the New England colonies and
the other provinces under English rule. Fort Edward still remained
to her, though Oswego and William Henry had fallen and were
demolished. The capture of Ticonderoga would be a blow to France
which wou