e young
boys living there, attending the school of Alexander McLean and
traveling by painful steps along the road to knowledge. In its snugness,
its security and the luxury it offered it was a wonderful contrast to
the dark forest, where death lurked in every bush. Robert drew a long
sigh of content and poured himself another cup of coffee.

"And you escaped from the French after the great battle?" said Mynheer
Jacobus, asking the same question over and over again.

"Yes, sir," replied Robert, "and it was not a difficult thing to do at
all. The victory of the French was so remarkable, and I think so
unexpected, that they were paying little attention to me. I just walked
out of their camp, and the only man I met was the Chevalier de St. Luc,
who did not seem at all interested in stopping me--a curious fact, but a
fact all the same."

"A great leader and a fine man iss the Chevalier de St. Luc," said Mr.
Huysman.

"He's both, as I've had many chances to learn, and I intend to know more
about him some day."

"It may be that you will know even more than you think."

Robert looked sharply at the burgher, and he was about to ask questions,
but he reflected that Mynheer Jacobus, if he were able to answer, would
be evasive like all the others and so he checked the words at his lips.

"I suppose that time will disclose everything," he contented himself
with saying. "Meanwhile, I want to tell you, sir, that Tayoga and I
appreciate to the full your hospitality. It is noble, it always was
noble, as we've had ample occasion to discover."

The full red face of Mynheer Jacobus bloomed into a smile. The corners
of his mouth turned up, and his eyes twinkled.

"I must have had a premonition that you two were coming," he said, "and
so I stocked the larder. I remembered of old your appetites, a hunger
that could be satisfied only with great effort, and then could come back
again an hour later, as fresh and keen as ever. You are strong and
healthy boys, for which you should be grateful."

"We are," said Robert, with great emphasis.

"And you do not know whether Montcalm iss advancing with his army?"

"We don't, sir, but is Albany alarmed?"

"It iss! It iss alarmed very greatly. It wass not dreamed by any of us
that our army could be defeated, that magnificent army which I saw go
away to what I thought was certain victory. Ah, how could it have
happened? How could it have happened, Robert?"

"We simply threw away our chances