foe? Our realm in the
west is cut away from Canada in the north. If we cannot reunite
them, our power is gone. And they say that Ticonderoga and Crown
Point will be the next to fall. The English are massing upon Lake
George. They have commanders of a different calibre now. Poor
Ticonderoga! I grew to love it well. I spent many a happy month
there. But what can we do to save it, threatened as we are now by
the English fleet in the great St. Lawrence itself?"

"Are they not brave, these English?" cried Corinne, with an
enthusiasm of admiration in her face and voice. "Colin, I am glad,
oh very glad, that you and I are not all French. We can admire our
gallant foes without fear of disloyalty to our blood. We have cause
to know how gallant and chivalrous they can be."

Colin's eyes lighted with eager pleasure.

"You remember that day in the forest, Corinne, and how we were
protected by English Rangers from hurt?"

"Ah, do I not! And I have heard, too, from our Aunt Drucour, of
their kindness and generosity to a conquered army--"

But she stopped, and waited for her brother to speak, as she saw
that he had more to say.

"You remember the big, tall Ranger, whose name was Fritz?" he said
eagerly.

"Yes, I remember him well."

"He is here--in Quebec--in this house at this very minute! He and I
have travelled from Montreal with my uncle."

Corinne's eyes were bright with eager interest.

Ah, Colin! is that truly so? And how came that about? You
travelling with an English Ranger!"

"Yes, truly, and we owe our lives to his valour and protection. It
is strange how Dame Fortune has thrown us across each other's path
times and again during these past few short years. First, he saved
us from attack in the forest. You need not that I should tell you
more of that, Corinne. Afterwards, some few of us from Ticonderoga
saved the lives of him and of a few other Rangers who had fallen
into the hands of the Indians after that defeat at Fort William
Henry, which had scattered them far and wide. We felt such shame at
the way our Indian allies had behaved, and at the little protection
given to the prisoners of war by our Canadian troops, that we were
glad to show kindness and hospitality to the wanderers, Rangers
though they were; and when I recognized Fritz, I was the more glad.
He was wounded and ill, and we nursed him to health ere we sent him
away. After that it was long before we met again, and then he came
to our succour whe