With Rogers on the Frontier: A Story of 1756

by J. Macdonald Oxley

It was an intensely still, starless night; and if Seth had not known every foot of the ground by heart he might have come many a cropper as he hurried in the direction of the fires, pausing at intervals to listen for any sound betokening the enemy's approach, and then going resolutely on again until he had got within a few hundred yards of the encampment.

Here he came to a full stop in order carefully to consider the situation.

"If I go any farther in this direction I may be caught by some of their outposts; yet I'm not near enough to find out what I've come for," he soliloquized. "I think perhaps I'd better try around to the right."

Accordingly he made a detour which brought him to the side of the French position, and there the cover of the trees made it possible for him to draw so close to the camp fires that he could plainly see the figures of the men about there and even overheard their talk.

"Bless my heart, but they're as thick as flies," he exclaimed under his breath, with a feeling of consternation at his heart. "They outnumber us completely. I'm afraid they'll take the fort."

As he watched them moving to and fro in the light of the fires he became aware that they were getting ready for a concerted movement, and presently they formed up in regular array upon the ice which happened at the time to be clear of snow.

"They're going to march on the fort right away," said Seth to himself. "I must get back and give warning."

The French had taken the precaution to send out many scouts in advance, and these were now spread over the space intervening between their camp and Fort William Henry, and Seth therefore had to run the gauntlet of them ere he could regain the fort. Consequently every step was full of danger; and he moved with the utmost caution yet as swiftly as possible, for the moments were precious in the extreme.

Once and again he passed so close to one of the scouts that he could almost have touched him; but his intimate knowledge of the ground stood him in good stead, especially since the others were warily feeling their way, and he escaped discovery as it were by the skin of his teeth.

He had left the encampment far behind, and was about congratulating himself upon having successfully passed all danger when he was challenged by a scout, who suddenly rose right in his path.