evident that
it's not intended you shall lose your life in this war, Lennox. What has
become of that wonderful Onondaga Indian, Tayoga, and the great hunter,
Willet?"

"They're both here. You shall see them before the day is over. But what
is the feeling in the army?"

"We're depressed and the French are elated. It's because we lost the
Montmorency battle. The Royal Americans and the Grenadiers were too
impulsive. We tried to rush slopes damp and slippery from rain, and we
were cut up. I received a wound there, and so did Wilton, but neither
amounts to anything, and I want to tell you, Lennox, that, although
we're depressed, we're not withdrawing. Our general is sick a good deal,
but the sicker he grows the braver he grows. We hang on. The French say
we can continue hanging on, and then the winter will drive us away. You
know what the Quebec winter is. But we'll see. Maybe something will
happen before winter comes."

As Robert turned away from the little group he came face to face with a
tall young officer dressed with scrupulousness and very careful of his
dignity.

"Charteris!"[A] he exclaimed.

"Lennox!"

They shook hands with the greatest surprise and pleasure.

"When I last saw you at Ticonderoga you were a prisoner of the French,"
said Robert.

"And so were you."

"But I escaped in a day or two."

"I escaped also, though not in a day or two. I was held a prisoner in
Quebec all through the winter and spring and much befell me, but at last
I escaped to General Wolfe and rejoined my old command, the Royal
Americans."

"And he took part in the battle of Montmorency, a brave part too," said
Colden.

"No braver than the others. No more than you yourself, Colden,"
protested Charteris.

"And 'tis said that, though he left Quebec in the night, he left his
heart there in the possession of a very lovely lady who speaks French
better than she speaks English," said Colden.

"'Tis not a subject of which you have definite information," rejoined
Charteris, flushing very red and then laughing.

But Colden, suspecting that his jest was truth rather, had too much
delicacy to pursue the subject. Later in the day Robert returned with
Willet and Tayoga and they had a reunion.

"When we take Quebec," said Tayoga to Grosvenor, "Red Coat must go back
with us into the wilderness and learn to become a great warrior. We can
go beyond the Great Lakes and stay two or three years."

"I wish I could," laughed Grosvenor,