as well advanced by the time our preparations were completed.
We cooked and ate supper, and then sat smoking for awhile about the
fire. The best of the tepees had been assigned to Flora, and she retired
immediately after the meal. The storm was still raging and the snow
falling thickly, but our camp was so sheltered by the two great hills
that we were almost as comfortable as we had been at Fort Beaver. Yet
only a short distance away, to right and left, we could hear the wind
shrieking and howling through the open wilderness.

"We had better be turning in, so we can make an early start," Tom Arnold
said finally. "My arm is stiff and sore, and I can't sit up any longer.
How about sentry duty?"

"We mustn't neglect that," replied Captain Rudstone. "I volunteer for
the first watch."

The matter was quickly settled. There were to be three watches, Carteret
following the captain, and a Fort Charter man named Humphrey taking the
last turn. The orders were to pace a short distance right and left of
the camp at intervals, and to keep up the fire; each sentry was to rouse
the next man at the proper time.

We smoked a last pipe, and turned in leaving Captain Rudstone on guard.
We were divided into batches of four, and those who shared my tepee with
me were Christopher Burley, Luke Hutter and Duncan Forbes. We huddled
close together, wrapped in blankets, and I for one was so tired out that
I fell asleep instantly.

I remember nothing more until I was roused, after what seemed a short
interval, by a husky shout and a spluttering of angry words. The noise
was enough to waken the whole camp, and indeed it did so with amazing
rapidity. I rushed outside in alarm, followed by my companions. The gray
dawn was breaking, and the air was free of snow. The rest of the men
were pouring from the tepees, rubbing their drowsy eyes and fumbling
with their muskets. I saw Flora's face, flushed and frightened, peeping
from the little doorway of her hut. We all gathered round Tom Arnold,
who was pointing to a heap of dead ashes--what was left of the fire.

"We might have been murdered in our sleep!" he cried savagely. "Who's to
blame for this cursed carelessness? I turned out a minute ago, and look
what I find! Nobody on guard, and the fire burned to ashes! Humphrey,
you scoundrel, you had the last watch! What have you got to say for
yourself?"

"I--I wasn't roused, sir," stammered Humphrey. "It was Carteret's place
to do that."

"How could