"'Tis his Excellency the governor," he explained. "Master Burnet is come up-river from New York town this morning."
"What is toward?"
"I know not, my master. The governor and Master Colden of his Council have summoned certain gentry and merchants and the officers of the troops to meet them in the Great Hall of the fort this afternoon."
I thanked him, and passed on.
"Here is great luck for us!" I exclaimed to Corlaer and Ta-wan-ne-ars. "We are saved the trip down-river."
"Ja," grunted Peter.
Ta-wan-ne-ars smiled.
"Does my brother already surrender to the spell of the wilderness?" he inquired.
I started, for indeed the Seneca's uncanny inward vision had perceived the question I was then debating in my own mind.
"How knew you that?" I demanded as we shouldered our way through Dutch farmers and burghers, English settlers of the newly opened districts, slaves, patentees, patroons, Indians from the Lower Castle of the Mohawks, frontiersmen and soldiers.