re in and
you are out. If it comes to holding us here all winter we who have
good houses can stand it much better than you who merely have the
forest as a home, where you will be rained upon, snowed upon, hailed
upon, and maybe frozen. Why should we exchange our warm house for your
cold forest?"

Colonel de Courcelles frowned. There was a humorous inflection in
Colden's tone that did not please him, and the young officer's words
also had a strong element of truth.

"It's not a time to talk about houses and forests," he said, somewhat
haughtily. "We have here a formidable force capable of carrying your
fort, and, for that reason, we demand your surrender. Indians are
always inflamed by a long and desperate resistance and while Captain
de Jumonville and I will do our best to restrain them, it's possible
that they may escape from our control in the hour of victory."

Young Colden smiled again. With Willet at his right hand and Robert at
his left, he acquired lightness of spirit.

"A demand and a threat together," he replied. "For the threat we
don't care. We don't believe you'll ever see that hour of victory in
which you can't control your Indians, and there'll be no need for you,
Colonel de Courcelles, to apologize for a massacre committed by your
allies, and which you couldn't help. We're also growing used to
requests of surrender.

"There was your countryman, St. Luc, a very brave and skillful man, who
asked it of us, but we declined, and in the end we defeated him. And
if we beat St. Luc without the aid of a strong fort, why shouldn't we
beat you with it, Colonel de Courcelles?"

Colonel de Courcelles frowned once more, and Captain de Jumonville
frowned with him.

"You don't know the wilderness, Captain Colden," he said, "and you
don't give our demand the serious consideration to which it is
entitled. Later on, the truth of what I tell you may bear heavily upon
you."

"I may not know the forest as you do, Colonel de Courcelles, but I
have with me masters of woodcraft, Mr. Lennox and Mr. Willet, with
whom you're already acquainted."

"We've had passages of various kinds with Colonel de Courcelles, both
in the forest and at Quebec," said Robert, quietly.

Both De Courcelles and Jumonville flushed, and it became apparent that
they were anxious to end the interview.

"This, I take it, is your final answer," the French Colonel said to
the young Philadelphia captain.

"It is, sir."

"Then what may occur re