ready proper craft to convey them across the lake."

Then Master Phelps, still holding to Nathan as a guide, set off to meet
the force, which was believed to be rapidly approaching, and the farmer
said impatiently to the corporal:

"If it so be, sir, you count on carrying out the orders given 'twixt now
and dark, it is time for us to be moving, for boats are not plentiful
hereabout, and we shall have a long tramp before gathering as many as
will carry your force across."

CHAPTER VII.

TICONDEROGA.

It was not necessary Farmer Beman should urge Corporal 'Lige to make
haste in this matter which had been intrusted to him, for the old
soldier understood full well how necessary it was that means of
transportation for the troops should be at hand when the men arrived,
and had good reason to believe that such task as was assigned him could
not be readily performed.

He even showed himself more eager in the work than the farmer, for when
the latter would have delayed in order to eat the noonday meal, the old
man positively refused as he said:

"We can have dinner after Ticonderoga has been taken, but until then
there must be no thought of rest. Although as I understand, detachments
are to be sent to Skenesborough and Panton, it is not positive they can
get boats from there to this point in time, and we must act as if
believing the matter of transportation depended wholly upon ourselves."

Had Nathan been there to witness the old man's activity after some
special work had been set for him, he might have changed his opinion
about the corporal's being an "imitation soldier."

He walked here and there, tiring his companions almost to the verge of
exhaustion, and yet apparently as fresh as when he began; but when the
sun set he had only seventeen boats drawn up on the shore at that point
where it was supposed the troops would halt, and Isaac believed there
were absolutely no more within the radius of a dozen miles.

"I allow you've done your best, corporal," Farmer Beman said as the
three stood looking ruefully at the small number of boats, many of which
would be loaded to the water's edge with half a dozen men, "and it now
stands us in hand to get supper, considerin' we missed our dinner so
completely."

"There must be no time wasted. Let Isaac run up to the house for such
provisions as your wife can spare, and we'll set out in some other
direction, for every craft that we add to this 'ere lot is jest so much