t fine fellows. Sit down and have a
drink with us."

Rogers introduced me to them as the Earl of Middlesex. They took off
their hats to me and ordered some grog for us. I barely tasted mine, for
I had no heart to drink with the besotted fools. We bade them good-by, I
took up the things which Rogers had bought, and we walked away.

"Well, Comee, we've settled the nation's debt. That's one good thing off
our hands. There's another thing I wish we could get rid of as easily.
The old country has sent us over some curious commanders. There was
Braddock, who threw away his army and his life; Webb, who was a coward;
Loudon, our present commander, is always running hither and thither,
giving orders, but effecting nothing. He is like the pictures of St.
George on the tavern signs,--always on horseback, but never getting
anywhere. But this Colonel Haviland, the commandant here, beats them all
hollow. A worse specimen of stupidity or rascality I never saw. Captain
Israel Putnam of the Connecticut troops was sent out on a scout a week
ago. Before he went Haviland said publicly that on his return he should
send me out against the French with four hundred men. One of Putnam's
men deserted to the enemy and one of the Rangers was captured, so that
the enemy knew all about it. Putnam says there are about six hundred
Indians near Ticonderoga; and now this Haviland sends me out, not with
four hundred men, but with one hundred and eighty, all told. You will
see all the fighting you want inside the next week and I hope we may
both get through it alive."

[Sidenote: A PLEASANT PROSPECT]

When I returned to the island, I told Edmund and Amos what Rogers had
said, and we felt pretty glum. "It looks to me," said Edmund, "as if the
rest of the campaign wouldn't interest us very much."

CHAPTER IX

IN WHICH THE RANGERS ENGAGE WITH THE FRENCH AND INDIANS

On the 10th of March we set forth on snowshoes and travelled through the
thick forest. That night we encamped at a brook. The Rangers built
shelters of boughs in a short time. Big fires were made, and after we
had our suppers and a pull at the pipe, we rolled ourselves up in our
blankets and went to sleep.

The next morning we reached Lake George, and saw the blackened ruins of
Fort William Henry, where the massacre had taken place some eight months
before.

Of course I knew the story, but Martin had been there, and told me how
the fort was besieged by Montcalm; and after it wa