"You would draw the rations first and sleep, leaving another to do the walking," was the laughing answer. "Peste take these English. It is because they are so energetic that they still keep up their opposition. Others would have given in long ago after suffering so many defeats."
They stood together chatting for a time, their talk turning upon the surrender of Fort William Henry and the massacre which followed. Then they shook their heads and agreed that such a catastrophe would have ruined their own cause, while, strangely enough, it had made the enemy even more determined.
And while they chatted Steve gradually approached the wall, and finally halted at the spot where Silver Fox had given his signal. It was absolutely dark down below, and though he peered into the black shadows, even his trained eyes failed to see any object. He was in the act of withdrawing his head when there was a movement below, and the faint bark of a dog. Then someone whispered.
"Steve? Is that you, lad? Then catch this tackle."
Something swished in the air, a bright object shot up from the black abyss, and the prisoner gripped an iron hook, to which a stout rope was attached. To place the hook in position was the work of a second, and within a minute he was down at the bottom of the wall, with his hand gripped firmly in that of his father.
"Come. They will discover that you are gone in a very few seconds perhaps, and then there will be a noise. Ah! The sentries are calling."
Steve clutched at his father's sleeve, and allowed himself to be led away through the darkness. They ran along the narrow path, darted out into one of the roads which ascend the cliff, and soon afterwards were making their way along another path.
"They're at it! Listen to 'em shoutin'."
Steve suddenly heard a well-remembered voice speaking a foot or two behind him, and with a gasp of surprise realised that Hunting Jim was one of the party. But he had no time to greet him, and, indeed, little opportunity of doing so, for Judge Mainwaring hurried him on at a rapid pace, shouts from the fort having plainly shown them that the escape was already discovered. In fact, the sentries who had been so eagerly discussing the English nation and their idiotic absurdities, as they were pleased to call several of their customs, were smart fellows, in spite of all their chatter. Steve had been gone less than a minute when one of the men became suspicious.