ages bent on securing as many scalps as possible with the least
exposure. The sentinels on posts without the fort were in the greatest
danger, and there was one outpost in particular which had lost so many
of its sentries that at last no man could be found to accept a station
there voluntarily. One after another they had disappeared, as completely
as though the earth had opened and swallowed them. It was a post of such
danger that the officers at Fort Edward, having called for volunteers
repeatedly, all of whom had met the same mysterious fate, were compelled
to resort to drafting the men for duty there. As a commissioned officer
Putnam was exempt from the draft, but with his love of danger and from a
desire to penetrate the mystery, he volunteered for the hazardous
service for at least one night. His offer was accepted, although his
friends warned him of the risk he ran. He was already informed as to the
general instructions: on hearing the least noise to challenge promptly,
"Who goes there?" three times, and then, if no answer were returned, to
fire at whatever approached.

Mounting guard at his post as early as possible, Putnam took occasion to
make a thorough examination of the nature of his environment, with a
trained woodsman's eye noting every peculiarity of rock, stump, bush,
tree, and leaf. Even then, as darkness fell and the scene became faintly
illumined by the rising moon, his surroundings assumed an unfamiliar
cast.

He stood at his post till past midnight before anything unusual
happened, then his attention was attracted by what appeared to him a
wild hog which, with stealthy footstep, gradually neared his position.
There could be no danger in such a beast, any one less acute than he
might have reasoned; but anyway, he issued the challenge, and then, no
response having been made to his "Who goes there?" he immediately fired
at the animal. It was a groan, and not a grunt, that answered his
well-directed shot, and going up to the object, then writhing in its
death-struggles, he stripped off a bear-skin and revealed an immense
Indian, who had in this disguise approached the unsuspicious sentinels
previously stationed there, stabbed them, and carried them away.

CHAPTER V

THE ADVENTUROUS SOLDIER

The campaign of 1755-'56, abounding in opportunities for personal
adventure, in which Israel Putnam took great delight, showed the true
mettle of the provincial soldier from Connecticut. At one time in t