e of forces greater than their own, intrenched on the
field where they had won the victory, a victory that remains one of the
decisive battles of the world, mighty and far-reaching in its
consequences.

A night of mixed triumph and grief came, grief for the loss of Wolfe and
so many brave men, triumph that a daring chance had brought such a
brilliant success. Robert found Charteris, Grosvenor, Colden and the
Virginians unharmed. Wilton was wounded severely, but ultimately
recovered his full strength. Carson was wounded also, but was as well as
ever in a month, while Robert himself, Tayoga, Willet and Zeb Crane were
not touched.

But his greatest interest that night was in the Chevalier de St. Luc,
Marquis de Clermont. They had made him a pallet in a tent and one of the
best army surgeons was attending so famous and gallant an enemy. But he
seemed easiest when Robert was by.

"My boy," he said, "I always tried to save you. Whenever I looked upon
you I saw in your face my sister Gabrielle."

"But why did you not tell me?" asked Robert. "Why did not some one of
the others who seemed to know tell me?"

"There were excellent reasons," replied the wounded man. "Gabrielle
loved one of the Bostonnais, a young man whom she met in Paris. He was
brave, gallant and true, was your father, Richard Lennox. I have nothing
to say against him, but our family did not consider it wise for her to
marry a foreigner, a member of another race. They eloped and were
married in a little hamlet on the wild coast of Brittany. Then they fled
to America, where you were born, and when you were a year old they
undertook to return to France, seeking forgiveness. But it was only a
start. The ship was driven on the rocks of Maine and they were lost,
your brave, handsome father and my beautiful sister--but you were saved.
Willet came and took you into the wilderness with him. He has stood in
the place of your own father."

"But why did not they tell me?" repeated Robert. "Why was I left so long
in ignorance?"

"There was a flaw. The priest who performed the marriage was dead. The
records were lost. The evil said there had been no marriage, and that
you were no rightful member of the great family of De Clermont. We could
not prove the marriage then and so you were left for the time with
Willet."

"Why did Willet take me?"

Raymond Louis de St. Luc turned to Willet, who sat on the other side of
the pallet, and smiled.

"I will answer you, Rober