"Vincennes at last," shouted Tom Dare, six days after the four boys had come together. "Maybe I'm not glad we are here."
"For myself, I haf no doubt aboud id," said Fritz.
"I'm glad we've reached here within the limit of time allowed us," Dick added.
"With the whole av two days to spare," said Tim. "Faith, an' Oi think we had best be stayin' on the outside av the town till our toime is after bein' up."
"Nein," replied Fritz. "Ve'll rest in houses already yet, und not in fields, dose two days."
"They won't be lettin' you into a house, me bye," joked Tim.
The quartet had reached the clearing and were close to the walls of the fort at Vincennes by now. From many of the doorways of the houses women and children stared at them suspiciously. The men were all away in the fields and strangers in the little frontier town were quite naturally regarded with suspicion until they became known.
The boys went directly to the fort, which was held by a handful of troops recruited from the hardy frontiersmen of the section, and Dick led the way to the man on guard at the opening of the stockade.
"We want to see the commander," he said to the trooper.
"And whom might ye be?" he queried.