er gone as poor Bunster."

"Easy, Zeb. I don't want to tell all you did for me, there isn't time,
but I'm glad to know any one that's your friend."

"You two boys make a likely pair. Ye both really do credit to my
judgment in pickin' ye out. How long ye been here, Don?"

"Only a few days. You've heard about Stark and the battle at
Bennington, of course?"

"We certain have. He gave those Hessians a sound drubbing if reports
are correct. He was at Trenton, you know. Was disgruntled, because he
didn't get the promotion he wanted, an' went home."

"Lucky he did. He was just the man needed to do that job at
Bennington. I went as messenger to Portsmouth and heard John Langdon,
the speaker of the New Hampshire assembly, pledge his property to fit
out Stark. That's the kind of statesmen to have."

"A durned sight better than the majority of those in Congress. Whar is
yer Uncle Dick, at home worryin' about ye?"

Donald laughed, and then his face grew serious as he said, "No. He
joined Stark and I'm the one who is worrying about him."

"General Arnold played a good trick on St. Leger, when he sent that
decoy messenger to him with the cock-and-bull story about the
reinforcements marching to Fort Stanwix bein' thicker than the leaves
on the trees," remarked Zeb.

"And wasn't that a glorious fight poor old Herkimer's men made against
the Tories and Brandt's Indians? That must have been terrible, a
regular hand-to-hand struggle. Yes, Arnold is here and many think he
should have the command."

"And I'm one o' the number," said Zeb, stoutly. "That man has more
courage an' energy than the whole Continental Congress. Look at the
way he fought in the Canadian campaign! They tell me, though the
British defeated the fleet of boats he built to oppose 'em on the
lake, that no man ever led a braver struggle against greater odds and
got away without bein' captured. He was ready to resign before this
Burgoyne campaign, an' I wouldn't hev blamed him. He doesn't know how
to git along without making enemies, for, when he has anything to do,
he goes at it hammer and tongs no matter whose toes he treads on, but
he gets it done, by hook or by crook."

"You know, Zeb, that somehow I never had great liking for him, but he
certainly is a brave, resourceful leader. I think he's the most
ambitious man in the service."

"He's willing to earn his promotion, which some of 'em wouldn't if
they knew how. He's earned it ten times over. The men who