n the slope, and both the
children exclaimed with delight when Mr. Scott, running and sliding,
reached the shore almost as soon as they did.

Mr. Scott fastened on Faith's skates, and held up by her uncle on one
side and Donald on the other, Faith ventured out on the dark, shining
ice. After a few lurches and tumbles, she found that she could stand
alone, and in a short time could skate a little.

"Father, are those Indians?" asked Donald, pointing to a number of
dark figures coming swiftly down the lake from the direction of the
fort.

Mr. Scott looked, and answered quickly: "Yes. They have seen us; so we
will skate toward them. They will probably be friendly." But he told
Faith to sit down on the sled, and took fast hold of Donald's hand. In
a few moments the flying figures of the Indians were close at hand.
There were six of them, young braves, and evidently racing either for
sport, or bound on some errand of importance, for they sped straight
past the little group, with a friendly call of salutation.

"I wonder what that means," said Mr. Scott, turning to watch them. "It
may be they are on their way to Albany as messengers from the fort,"
he added, as if speaking to himself.

"What kind of a message, Uncle Philip?" asked Faith.

"Heaven knows, child. Perhaps for troops enough to crush the American
settlers, and drive them from their homes," replied Mr. Scott. For
news of the trouble in Boston, the blockade of the port, and the lack
of supplies, had reached the men of the Wilderness; and Mr. Scott knew
that the English were planning to send a larger body of troops to Fort
Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and the sight of these speeding Indians
made him wonder if they might not be English messengers.

"Couldn't we stop them, uncle?" asked Faith, so earnestly that her
uncle looked down at her in smiling surprise.

"Couldn't we? It will be dreadful to leave our homes," said Faith.

Mr. Scott swung the little girl gently around. "Look!" he said,
pointing down the lake. Already the Indians were but dark specks in
the distance. "If trouble comes there are brave Americans ready," he
said; "and now we had best be going toward home, or you will be too
tired to come out this afternoon."

Faith and Donald were surprised to find that it was dinner time. They
had a great deal to tell Aunt Prissy of their morning's adventures.

"Could a little girl do anything to help, Aunt Prissy, if the English
do try to drive us away?"