of all
resistance securing three sledges, six horses, and seven French
prisoners.

The rest of the sledges escaped, and Rogers and Stark met each
other with grave faces.

"They will give notice at Ticonderoga that we are here," said the
former. "They will come out against us and cut off our retreat. We
must examine the prisoners ourselves and learn all we can from
them, and then make our way to the fort as fast as possible through
the forest. The enemy may be upon us before nightfall."

Fritz, who spoke French as easily as English, had already been
questioning the prisoners separately.

"They all tell the same tale," he said gravely: "they have five
hundred regular soldiers at the fort, and Indians coming in daily.
They were organizing parties to intercept communication between
Fort Edward and Fort William Henry. They are pledged to the
extermination of the Rangers wherever they meet them. Directly they
know that we are lurking in their vicinity, they will come out in
great numbers against us."

Rogers' face was set and stern.

"We will give them a warm welcome when they do!" he said. "Meantime
we will lose no time. Light up the fires and dry the ammunition
which has become wet. The horses must be sacrificed and the sledges
burned. As for the men, we must keep them till the last minute.
When we go, they can go back to their fort. They will have nothing
to tell there which is not known already. The Rangers slay men in
fair fight, but they do not butcher prisoners."

The thing was done. Rogers' commands were carried out, and in
cautious single file the band of Rangers crept through the forest
by devious tracks known to themselves, keeping eyes and ears ever
on the alert.

"Have a care!" came the warning cry of Charles at last; "I hear the
cocking of guns."

The words had hardly passed his lips before a volley blazed out
from the bushes, and many a bold Ranger fell as he stood, shot
through the heart.

"Steady, men--and fire!" cried Rogers, speaking as coolly as though
a hail storm and not one of hot lead was raining about them. Blood
was running down his cheek from a graze on the temple; and Fritz
felt for the first time the stinging sensation in his arm which he
had heard described so many times before.

In a moment they had spread themselves out in the best possible
manner, retreating upon the hill they had just descended, and
covering themselves with the trees, from behind which they fired
with unerri