“I see no reason why it should not be done, especially after your capture of the Tories, for thus far Colonel Allen has succeeded in keeping his movements a secret, at least from the people in this section of the country, and why may you not say the same of Crown Point?”
To the surprise of the boys no less than twenty men were assembled in front of Captain Baker’s house by the time breakfast had been eaten, and on making inquiry Isaac learned that these were all of the Green Mountain Boys who had been ordered by 236 their leader to rendezvous at Sudbury until summoned elsewhere.
The company, under command of Captain Baker, took up the line of march over an old trail through the woods, marching to a point on the shore of the lake nearly two miles further down from where the boys had landed, when they came from the fort.
There, snugly hidden in the thicket ready for just such an emergency as had already come, were found four stout boats, each capable of carrying not less than a dozen men, and after all were embarked and the little fleet pushed off from the shore, it appeared quite formidable.
Each craft boasted of a sail, and with the wind from the southward there was no need of labor at the oars, therefore this portion of the journey promised to be most pleasant.
“This is different from what we expected 237 when Master Wentworth marched us in front of his musket,” Isaac said in a tone of content, and his comrade replied:
“We got out of a small hole in fine style.”
It was when they were midway from the point of embarkation to Fort Ticonderoga that young Beman cried excitedly, pointing toward that shore which they had just quitted, where could be seen two small boats laden with men who were pulling into a cove as if seeking shelter:
“It looks to me as if those fellows are wearing red coats!”
It was the first intimation Captain Baker had that there were others in the immediate vicinity, and instantly he gave word for the boats to be hauled around for the purpose of learning who these strangers were.