beloved; seeking always to hold them back from greed and
covetousness, and teaching them that the hope for which they must
look was the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to reign upon
the earth."

Julian paused, looking thoughtfully into the fire. Humphrey heaved
a great sigh, and said half bitterly:

"But the Lord delayeth His coming, and men wage war against their
brethren."

"Yes, verily; yet I think that should make us long the more for the
day which will surely come. However, let me tell my tale. The great
enterprise of France in the south and west has come to but a very
small thing. No chain of forts guards the great river. The highway
from Canada to the south has never been opened up. France is
speaking of it to this day. These very hostile movements towards
England are all part and parcel of the old plan. She still desires
to hold the whole territory by this chain of forts, and shut
England in between the sea and those mountains yonder. You have
heard, I doubt not, how England is resolved not to be thus held in
check. Major George Washington and General Braddock have both made
attacks upon Fort Duquesne, and though both have suffered defeat
owing to untoward causes and bad generalship, the spirit within
them is still unquenched. Fort Duquesne, Fort Niagara, Fort
Ticonderoga--these are the three northern links of the chain, and I
think that England will never rest until she has floated her flag
over these three forts.

"We have come from far to the heart of that great struggle which
all men know must come. The day of rest for us seemed ended. We
have been travelling all through the long, hot summer months, to
find and to be with our countrymen when the hour of battle should
come."

Humphrey looked from one to the other, and said:

"There are only two of you. Where are all the rest from your
smiling valley of the south? Were you the only twain that desired
to join the fight?"

"A dozen of us started, but two turned back quickly, discouraged by
the hardness of the way, and a few died of fever in the great
swamps and jungles: Others turned aside when we neared the great
lakes, thinking to find an easier way. But Fritz and I had our own
plan of making our way to New England, and after long toil and
travel here we are at the end of our journey. For this indeed seems
like the end, when we have found a comrade who will show us the way
and lead us to the civilized world again!"

"Ay, I can do that,"