"The sleighs were drawn up near the door, and the next minute Captain Cummings joined me.
"'This is an unexpected pleasure,' he remarked as he tucked the robes around me. 'Sir George wanted to have a special talk with Beaumont this morning about surgical matters, so he requested me to take his place. There, are you quite comfortable?' he asked, solicitously.
"'Yes, thank you,' I replied. 'Do we march with the men to-day or go ahead?'
"'On ahead,' was his answer. 'We shall be close to the U.S. boundary line for another day yet, but as they have never had troops in this region, the Colonel thinks we are perfectly safe in leading the way. We are off on the trot already.'
"The road here was smooth, and Sir George's sleigh was spinning ahead of us.
"'Still, it would be alarming to be attacked, with the soldiers miles behind us,' I remarked.
"'Even if they did,' said the Captain, 'unless the forces were very strong, we could defend ourselves until the men came up. Every man of us is well armed.'
"'That may be,' I volunteered, 'but what of the women?'
"'Oh! the chivalrous Englishmen will always protect them,' was his laughing rejoinder, as he extended his gauntletted hand, seemingly with the intention of placing it over mine. But, suddenly feeling the chilliness of the air, I withdrew it beneath the buffalo robe.
"'It is good of you to say so,' I said, 'our officers are always both gallant and brave.