"Straight as a storm from the North, John."
"When?"
"Oh, that? God knows. We shall hold the lakes as long as we can. But unless we are reinforced by Continentals—unless every Colony sends us a regiment of their Lines—we can not hope to hold Crown Point, and that's sure as shooting and plain as preaching."
"Very well," said I between clenched teeth, "then we here in Tryon had best go about the purging of that same county, and physic this district against a dose o' red-coats."
Ellerson laughed and rose with the lithe ease of a panther.
"I should be on my way to Albany," says he. "You tell me there are horses at the Summer House, John?"
"Certainly."
We shook hands.
"You find Morgan's agreeable?" inquired Nick.
"A grand corps, lad! Tim Murphy is my mate. And I think there's not a rifleman among us who can not shoot the whiskers off a porcupine at a hundred yards." And to me, with a nod toward my Oneidas: "They are painting. Do you march tonight, John?"