ul morning in September," he said, "when we marched out
of Cambridge, under the eye of General Washington. Our first stopping
place was at Newburyport. There we took to the water. Eleven transports
conveyed us to the mouth of the Kennebec. Two hundred boats were
awaiting us there, constructed by carpenters who had been sent ahead of
us for that purpose. This place was the verge of civilization. Beyond
it, for hundreds of miles in the interior, was the primeval forest. An
advance party having been thrown forward for the purpose of
reconnoitering and exploration, the main body proceeded in four
divisions, of which our corps of riflemen held the van. After a pleasant
march of six days, we came to Norridgewock Falls."

"Norridgewock?" said Sieur Sarpy, as if speaking to himself. "I think I
remember that name."

"No doubt, you do, sir. It is a consecrated name. It recalls a great and
good man, Father Ralle."

"Ah, I remember. It was about forty years ago, and I was very young,
but I recollect with what horror the Superior of the Missions at Quebec
heard of the massacre of the saintly apostle of the Abnakis."

"Who murdered him?" enquired Zulma.

"The English settlers in Massachusetts," replied her father with
emphasis. "A party of them fell on the settlement and killed and scalped
the missionary and thirty of his Indians."

The eyes of Zulma flashed fire, but she said nothing.

"Yes," said Cary, "the foundation of the church and altar of the
Norridgewocks are still visible, but the Indians have disappeared and
desolation reigns over the scene of blood. At these Falls we had our
first portage."

"I know," said Sieur Sarpy, smiling.

"For a mile and a half we had to drag our boats over the rocks, through
the eddies, and at times even along the woods. The boats were leaky, the
provisions spoiled. We had to call oxen to our aid. Seven days were
spent in this fatiguing work. When we arrived at the junction of Dead
River with the Kennebec, one hundred and fifty men were off the rolls
through sickness and desertion."

"Was the weather cold?"

"Not in the first part of our journey. The sky was balmy, the sun shone
nearly every day, the watercourses were filled with salmon-trout, the
trees were magnificent in their autumn foliage, and the tranquil
atmosphere of the landscape was soothing to our wearied limbs. But in
the middle of October, the scene suddenly changed. All the leaves of the
forest had fallen, the wind blew