the ravens feed me. And if I
needed anything, could I take it for carrying a message? I carry good
tidings of great joy among the people all the time. This is yours. Put
it in your pocket."

I hid the padlocked book in the breast of my coat, and seized his wrist
and his hand.

"Be of good courage, white double-man," said Johnny Appleseed. "The Lord
lift up the light of His countenance upon you, the Lord make His face to
shine upon you and give you peace!"

He returned to his side of the fire and stretched himself under the
stars, and I went to Croghan's quarters and lay down with my clothes on
in the bunk assigned to me.

The book which I would have rent open at twenty, I now carried unsealed.
The suspense of it was so sweet, and drew my thoughts from the other
suspense which could not be endured. It was not likely that any person
about Mont-Louis had stolen the book, and wandered so far. Small as the
volume was, the boards indented my breast and made me increasingly
conscious of its presence. I waked in the night and held it.

Next morning Johnny Appleseed was gone from the fort, unafraid of war,
bent only on carrying the apple of civilization into the wilderness.
Nobody spoke about his absence, for shells began to fall around us. The
British and Indians were in sight; and General Proctor sent a flag of
truce demanding surrender.

Major Croghan's ensign approached the messenger with a flag in reply.

The women gathered their children as chickens under shelter. All in the
fort were cheerful, and the men joked with the gush of humor which
danger starts in Americans. I saw then the ready laugh that faced in
its season what was called Indian summer, because the Indian took then
advantage of the last pleasant weather to make raids. Such pioneers
could speak lightly even of powwowing time--the first pleasant February
days, when savages held councils before descending on the settlements.

Major Croghan and I watched the parley from one of the blockhouses that
bastioned the place. Before it ended a Shawanoe sprang out of a ravine
and snatched the ensign's sword. He gave it back reluctantly, and the
British flag bearer hurried the American within the gates.

General Proctor regretted that so fine a young man as Major Croghan
should fall into the hands of savages, who were not to be restrained.

"When this fort is taken," said Croghan on hearing the message, "there
will be nobody left in it to kill."

British gunbo