and the colonel
favored him with a glance of surprise, but took no further heed of his
sudden complaisance.

"At that settlement you will find one Captain Remember Baker; tell him
what has been done at this point, and say it is my wish he join me here
without delay. Select the lightest boat you can find for crossing the
lake, and make all haste."

Then the colonel turned away, intent upon the work of preparing a list
of the garrison which had surrendered, and some of his officers entering
for further instructions prevented the boys from making any inquiries
concerning the mission.

On leaving the quarters, Nathan, eager to serve this new commander of
the fort with all possible celerity, would have hastened at once to the
shore in order to set out, but that Isaac insisted upon giving Corporal
'Lige due information as to their proposed movements, much to the
displeasure of young Beman, who claimed that the old soldier was of no
account when the colonel had given orders.

"Well, this one is," Isaac said stoutly. "He's a good friend of mine,
and I wouldn't think of leavin' without first tellin' him, no matter
whose orders I was obeying."

"Well, I s'pose you must have your own way, but the time will come when
you won't think so much of that pig-headed old man as you do now."

To this ill-natured remark the lad did not reply, but on presenting
himself to Corporal 'Lige and explaining what he was about to do, the
latter, still busy with his work of taking account of the stores, made
very much the same remark as had Nathan.

"Don't consider, lad, that you are to report to me when ordered on duty.
Be careful of yourself; do not run into danger needlessly, and get you
gone without delay, for Colonel Allen is a man who doesn't take kindly
to loiterers."

Nathan showed himself to be one who could perform a task promptly and in
good order when it suited his pleasure so to do.

He it was who selected the boat in which they were to cross the lake;
borrowed a musket from one of the men that he might not be forced to
make the journey weaponless, and succeeding in begging such an amount of
provisions as would serve them for dinner.

While these few preparations were being made, Warner, with a detachment
of twenty five men from Colonel Allen's regiment, put off on his journey
to Crown Point, and after watching them a moment Nathan Beman said in a
tone of one who is satisfied with himself:

"It's jest as well we didn't have