n be no pressing need for me just at
present, and I think I shall sleep. I feel now as if I were bound to
relax."

"The best thing you could do, and I'll take a turn between the
blankets myself."

Robert had a great sleep. Some of the rooms in the blockhouse offered
a high degree of frontier comfort, and he lay down upon a soft couch
of skins. A fine fire blazing upon a stone hearth dried his deerskin
garments, and, when he awoke about noon, he was strong and thoroughly
refreshed. The snow was still falling heavily. The wilderness in its
white blanket was beautiful, but it did not look like a possible home
to Robert now. His vivid imagination leaped up at once and pictured
the difficulties of any one struggling for life, even in that vast
white silence.

Willet and Tayoga were up before him, and they were talking of another
expedition to see how far the besieging force had gone, but while they
were discussing it a figure appeared at the edge of the forest.

"It's a white man," exclaimed Wilton, "and so it must be one of the
Frenchmen. He's a bold fellow walking directly within our range. What
on earth can he want?"

One of the guards on the palisade raised his rifle, but Willet
promptly pushed down the muzzle.

"That's no Frenchman," he said.

"Then who is it?" asked Wilton.

"He's clothed in white, as any one walking in this snow is bound to
be, but I could tell at the first glimpse that it was none other than
our friend, Black Rifle."

"Coming to us for refuge, and so our fort is well named."

"Not for refuge. Black Rifle has taken care of himself too long in the
wilderness to be at a loss at any time. I suspect that he has
something of importance to tell us or he would not come at all."

At the command of Colden the great gate was thrown open that the
strange rover might enter in all honor, and as he came in, apparently
oblivious of the storm, his eyes gleamed a little at the sight of
Willet, his friend.

"You've come to tell us something," said the hunter.

"So I have," said Black Rifle.

"Brush off the snow, warm yourself by the fire, and then we'll
listen."

"I can tell it now. I don't mind the snow. I saw from a distance the
great fire last night, when the camp of the French and Indians
burned. It was clever to destroy their huts and lodges, and I knew at
once who did it. Such a thing as that could not have happened without
you having a hand in it, Dave Willet. I watched to see what the
Fren