est, and we were
astonished as we advanced night after night into the enemy's country and
close to their camp.

Edmund knew where we were going, but he was as close-mouthed as an
oyster.

"What in the w-world are we up to? Are we going to attack the French
army with one hundred and fifty men? I don't like these expeditions of
Major Rogers. I wish we had a good safe commander like that c-colonel
who was sent out on the lake to stop a party of French and Indians, and
landed on an island and formed his men in a circle round him, and
p-p-prayed that the Lord would send us a long war and a b-b-bloodless
war, and kept on praying till the enemy went by. A fellow has some
chance to keep his hair on his head with a g-good c-careful commander
like that; but this Rogers don't care where he g-goes or how many get
k-killed, so long as he can do something startling. What in time are we
up to?"

[Sidenote: AMOS PREFERS A CAREFUL COMMANDER]

I had been thinking over my talk with Captain Stark, and said:--

"I know what Rogers is about to do. We are going right up into Canada to
the St. Lawrence River, to attack the St. Francis Indians who made
Captain Kennedy and his men prisoners."

As I said this, Edmund laughed, and I knew that I had hit it.

"By the g-great Horn Spoon! That b-beats anything that Weaver David ever
dreamed of. Is that it, Edmund?"

"I can't tell you where we are going, but don't say a word of what you
suspect; for if any of our party were caught and knew where we were
going, it would be sure death for the rest of us; so just hold your
mouth and don't talk."

CHAPTER XVII

MARCH TO THE VILLAGE--THE RETREAT

We landed at Missisquoi Bay and pulled our boats up into the woods. Near
them we hid the provisions for our return. We distributed the rest of
the food among us, put it on our backs in sacks, and started off to the
northeast.

We left behind us a couple of Stockbridge Indians to watch the boats and
give us notice if they were discovered. We had only marched two days
when these two Indians caught up with us.

"Frenchmen and Indians find boats. Heap big party follow us. Three
hundred men."

Rogers said: "Boys, we are out to punish some Indians, and the only
course for us is to outmarch the enemy, do our work, and get out of the
way."

We plodded along day after day, from daybreak to dark, most of the time
through spruce bogs where the water was sometimes ankle-deep, and at
times up to ou