gained."

"You may set out in as many directions as you choose; but you will not
find another boat this night," Farmer Beman said decidedly, and with
what was very like a show of ill-temper. "I've guided you to every place
I know of, and if you are so headstrong as to keep on when there's
little show of accomplishing anything, you must go alone."

"And that's exactly what I shall do," the corporal said emphatically.
"Even though I knew nothing would be accomplished I should keep on
workin' until the force arrived, 'cause it isn't for me to set down and
say my task is finished."

"If that's your idea of soldierin', then I'm mighty glad I haven't
enlisted," and the farmer went deliberately to his home, convinced, as
was his son, that the old corporal was not as well skilled in warfare as
he would have it appear.

Even Isaac was disposed to protest against his teacher's decision, and
urged that it was little less than folly to think of adding to the
fleet, for Farmer Beman had declared positively there were no more boats
in the vicinity.

To this the corporal replied with some warmth, and there might have been
a serious undermining of friendship had not Nathan arrived just at that
moment.

"Well, is that all you've done this afternoon?" he asked sharply, and
the corporal turned on him fiercely.

"Do you know of other boats?"

"Seems to me there's more'n a hundred 'round here."

"Where are they?"

Nathan began a list, mentioning this neighbor or that, and as often
seeing among the collection the craft to which he referred, until
finally he was forced to admit that to the best of his knowledge there
were no more.

"I thought you knew of more than a hundred?" Corporal 'Lige cried
fiercely.

"That's what I reckoned myself; but when I come to figger 'em up they
wasn't there."

"You come with us, an' it may be we'll find another."

"What? After I've walked down to Castleton an' back to-day, I go with
you out rowin'? It'll take more'n six shillings to hire me to do
anything like that this night; besides you haven't got time before the
troops get here."

"How near are they?" Corporal 'Lige asked in alarm.

"Well, they ought'er be showin' up by this time, for I wasn't five
minutes ahead of 'em, and--there they are now!"

Nathan pointed to a group of men who had just come into the clearing
from amid the thicket, and as the old man looked up one of the party
motioned for him to approach.

Although Nathan ha