may
capture the fort instead of being taken a prisoner," he answered.

Nathan now turned toward the children, and Donald showed him the bow
he was making for his cousin. "I'll string it for you," offered
Nathan; and Donald was delighted to have the older boy finish his
work, for he was quite sure that anything Nathan Beaman did was a
little better than the work of any other boy.

"Who wants to capture Colonel Allen?" Faith asked.

"The 'Yorkers.' The English," responded the boy carelessly; "but it
can't be done," he added. "Why, every man who holds a New Hampshire
Grant would defend him. And Colonel Allen isn't afraid of the whole
English army."

"I know him. He was at my father's house just a few weeks ago," said
Faith.

"Don't tell anybody," said Nathan. "Some of the people at the fort may
question you, but you mustn't let them know that you have ever seen
Colonel Allen."

Donald had been busy sorting out feathers for the new arrows, and now
showed Nathan a number of bright yellow tips, which the elder boy
declared would be just what were needed.

Nathan asked Faith many questions about her father's mill, and about
Ethan Allen's visit. And Faith told him of the big bear that had
entered their kitchen and eaten the syrup. When Mrs. Scott called them
to dinner she felt that she was well acquainted with the good-natured
boy, whom Mrs. Scott welcomed warmly.

"I believe Nathan knows as much about Fort Ticonderoga as the men who
built it," she said laughingly, "for the soldiers have let him play
about there since he was a little boy."

"And Nathan made his own boat, too. The boat he comes over from
Shoreham in," said Donald. For Nathan Beaman lived on the further side
of the strip of water which separated Ticonderoga from the New
Hampshire Grants.

That afternoon Faith and her aunt worked on the fine new blue dress.
The next day Mrs. Scott took her little niece to the shoemaker, who
measured her feet and promised to have the shoes ready at the end of a
week.

As they started for the shoemaker's Mrs. Scott said:

"The man who will make your shoes is a great friend of the English
soldiers. Your uncle thinks that he gathers up information about the
American settlers and tells the English officers. Do not let him
question you as to what your father thinks of American or English
rule. For I must leave you there a little while to do an errand at the
next house."

Faith began to think that it was rather a serio