should all live to tell the tale
of these days."

Pringle shook his head; whilst Fritz wrung his hand and said:

"At least remember this: if you should wish to have news of us, ask
it of Rogers' Rangers, who are always to be heard of in these
parts. If we escape, it is to Rogers we shall find our way. He will
be glad enough to welcome us, and from any of his Rangers you will
hear news of us if we ever reach his ranks."

There was no sleep for the fort that night. Indeed the hot summer
nights were all too short for any enterprise to be undertaken then.
The glow in the western sky had scarcely paled before there might
have been seen creeping forth through the battered gateway file
after file of soldiers, as well equipped as their circumstances
allowed--silent, stealthy, eager for the signal which should launch
them against the intrenched foe so close at hand.

But alas for them, they had foes wily, watchful, lynx-eyed, ever on
the watch for some such movement. Hardly had they got clear of
their protecting walls and ditches, when, with a horrid yell,
hundreds and thousands of dusky Indians leaped up from the ground
and rushed frantically towards them. The next moment the boom of
guns overhead told that the French camp had been alarmed. The
regular soldiers would be upon them in a few minutes, driving them
back to the fort, killing and wounding, and leaving the Indians to
butcher and scalp at their leisure. The fearful war whoop was
ringing in their ears. The line wavered--broke; the men made a
frantic rush backwards towards their lines.

"Don't fly!" cried Roche suddenly to Fritz, at whose side he
marched; "let us cut our way through, or die doing it. It is death
whichever way we turn. Let us die like men, with our faces and not
our backs to the foe!"

"Come then!" cried Fritz, upon whom had fallen one of those strange
bursts of desperate fury which give a man whilst it lasts the
strength of ten.

With a wild bound he sprang forward, bursting through the ranks of
Indians like the track of a whirlwind, scattering them right and
left, hewing, hacking, cutting! Roche was just behind or at his
side; the two seemed invulnerable, irresistible, possessed of some
supernatural strength. The Indians in amaze gave way right and
left, and turned their attention to the flying men, who were easier
to deal with than this strange couple.

A shout went up that the devil was abroad, and the Indian, ever
superstitious, shrank aw