tember. The timber for the cabin had been
cut early in the winter, and the cabin begun, and now it was nearly
finished. "We moved last week," said Esther, "and you can see our
house from your back door."

Faith forgot all about being tired and ran to the back door to look.
Yes, there it was; the big new cabin, near the path down which Ethan
Allen had led her home, when, angry at Esther, she had run off to the
woods.

"Isn't it splendid! Oh, Esther, it is the very best thing that ever
happened," Faith declared; "isn't it, mother dear?"

Mrs. Carew was quite ready to agree with her little daughter. "Good
neighbors was the only thing we really lacked," she agreed, "and
perhaps others will come when there is better protection for their
safety."

The two little friends had much to tell each other, and when Esther
started for home Faith walked with her as far as the mill. From the
mill the new cabin could be clearly seen.

"Do you remember asking me if I listened to the brook?" Esther asked
laughingly, as they stood looking at the dancing waters of the stream.
"Well, I know now just what you meant. It's company, isn't it?"

Then Faith told her of the "Chiming Waters" of Ticonderoga, and of
some of the old tales of the lake that her aunt and Nathan had
related.

"Did you see the English soldiers?" questioned Esther.

"Oh, yes." And Faith described the skating party on the lake that the
redcoats had interfered with. "I wish I could see Ethan Allen, as I
did that day in September, and tell him all about the fort and the
soldiers, and ask him to drive the English away. My father says that
Colonel Allen could drive them away," said Faith.

"Of course he could! My father says so, too," agreed Esther. "Would it
not be a fine thing for us to send him a letter, Faith, and ask him?"

"Oh, Esther! That's just what I thought of. But we ought to do it
right away, for more soldiers are coming to the fort, Nathan Beaman
says, and then it won't be so easy," responded Faith.

The two little girls talked earnestly. They both knew of the cave on
the rocky slope near Lake Dunmore, and that messages were sometimes
left there for the settlers. But Lake Dunmore was a long distance
away.

"It would take all day to go and get back," said Esther, "and our
mothers would never let us go; you know they wouldn't."

"One of us ought to go to-morrow," answered Faith, "but how can we
plan it?"

"I know! I know!" declared Esther. "I'll ask