oved on
towards her goal unimpeded and at ease (as it seemed to the
harassed English officials), although not without her internal
troubles also.

November brought about the usual breaking up of the camps on both
sides. The French soldiers were drafted back to Canada in great
companies, sorely beset and harassed at times by the action of the
Rangers; whilst Winslow drew off the bulk of his men to winter
quarters in the larger towns of New England and the adjacent
colonies, leaving Major Eyre in charge of the fort, with sufficient
men to hold it during the dead winter season.

Rogers' Rangers were independent of weather. They pursued their
hardy and adventurous calling as well through the ice-bound winter
months as during the genial season of summer. But from time to time
his followers liked to visit their homes and friends, and Winslow
was glad enough to have their company upon his march back upon
civilization; for the Rangers were masters of the art of woodcraft,
and were the most able allies when difficulties arose through the
rising of rivers or the intricacies of the forest paths.

Stark and his little band, now reduced from a dozen to nine,
accompanied the army back to winter quarters; for John desired to
see his friends, and also to raise recruits for next season's
campaign, now that he had learned experience, and had inspiring
tales to tell of adventure, victory, and quick retributive
vengeance upon a treacherous and rapacious enemy.

Fritz and Charles both accompanied him, though the latter with some
reluctance. He would rather have remained in the neighbourhood of
the French lines, behind which lay the foe he was bent on meeting
once more face to face; but Stark had represented to him that his
sister would wish to see him once more, and Rogers had appointed
January as the time when he and his Rangers would be back, when the
ice would be firm and hard, and they could renew their wild winter
warfare, whilst during the earlier months of the winter there was
no certainty of carrying on any successful operations. Heavy rain
and soft snow were too much even for the hardy Rangers to grapple
with. They were practically useless now till the frost came and
fastened its firm grip upon the sleeping world.

There was joy in many a city throughout the English colony when the
troops marched in; although there was mourning in many homes for
the loss of some son or brother killed by the foe, or by the many
forms of sick