present," the soldier replied. "But let me have
your message and I shall give it to him as soon as he comes back."

"I have orders to give it to the Major himself and to no one else," the
courier explained. "It is very important."

"It certainly must be," and the soldier smiled. "But the Major is very
busy to-day, so may not have time to see you. He is down at the
trading post just now looking after the wants of those people who have
come in the ships. They have upset things in general, and are making
matters pretty lively around here, let me tell you that. The Major is
almost at his wits' end."

"Who are they?" Dane eagerly asked, "and where did they come from?"

"Why, don't you know?" the soldier asked in surprise.

"No, I have not the least idea. When I heard the Fort guns roar, I
thought maybe old Crabtree had come back again."

The soldier laughed and looked curiously at the young man.

"Say, where do you hail from, anyway, that you haven't heard about the
coming of the Loyalists? Why, we've been expecting them for some time."

"I never heard of them," Dane confessed, "and have no idea who they
are."

"They are the ones who stood by King George during the Revolutionary
War, of course. When England gave up the fight, and peace was decided
upon, the Loyalists were in a bad way. Their property was confiscated,
and they themselves treated very badly. They would not live under the
new flag of their enemies, so they got out, and here they are."

Dane glanced out toward the ships with the light of intense interest in
his eyes. What a story he would have to tell his comrades in the
wilderness. They all knew about the war, but no word had reached them
of the coming of the Loyalists.

"Didn't you want them to come here?" he asked turning to the sentry.

"Want them? Why, we had nothing to say about the matter."

"But didn't you fire upon them? I heard the roar of the guns when out
in the hills."

The soldier threw back his head and gave a hearty laugh. He was
enjoying this conversation, as it broke the monotony of his duty.

"We weren't firing upon them," he explained. "That was only a salute
of welcome."

"What are all those people going to do?" Dane asked. "How are they to
make a living?"

"Oh, I suppose many will settle here, while others will take up land
and farm. It will be some time, though, before everything is
straightened out. Just look at that crowd down there," and he motio