the rapids of the
Hudson, at Fort Miller. It was a frightfully perilous
situation. To stay where he was, was to be slaughtered; to
attempt crossing the stream would bring him under the Indian
fire; to go down the falls promised instant death. Which
expedient should he adopt? He chose the latter, preferring
to risk death from water rather than from tomahawk or
bullet.

The boat was pushed from the shore and exposed to the full
force of the current. In a minute or two it had swept beyond
the range of the Indian weapons. But death seemed
inevitable. The water rushed on in foaming torrents,
whirling round rocks, sweeping over shelves, pouring down in
abrupt falls, shooting onward with the wildest fury. It
seemed as if only a miracle could save the voyagers.

Yet with unyielding coolness Putnam grasped the helm; while
his keen eye scanned the peril ahead, his quick hand met
every danger as it came. Incessantly the course of the boat
was changed, to avoid the protruding rocks. Here it was
tossed on the billows, there it shot down inclined reaches,
now it seemed plunging into a boiling eddy, now it whirled
round a threatening obstacle; like a leaf in the tempest it
was borne onward, and at length, to the amazement of its
inmates themselves, and the astoundment of the Indians, it
floated safely on the smooth waters below, after a passage
of perils such as have rarely been dared. The savages gave
up the chase. A man who could safely run those rapids seemed
to them to bear a charmed life.

[Illustration: SHORE OF LAKE GEORGE.]

The other story mentioned is one indicative of Putnam's wit
and readiness. The army was now encamped in the forest, in a
locality to the eastward of Lake George. While here, the
Indians prowled through the woods around it, committing
depredations here and there, picking off sentinels, and
doing other mischief. They seemed to have impunity in this
work, and defied the utmost efforts at discovery. One
outpost in particular was the seat of a dread mystery. Night
after night the sentinel at this post disappeared, and was
not heard of again. Some of the bravest men of the army were
selected to occupy the post, with orders, if they should
hear any noise, to call out "Who goes there?" three times,
and if no answer came, to fire. Yet the mysterious
disappearances continued, until the men refused to accept
so dangerous a post. The commander was about to draw a
sentinel by lot, when Major Putnam solved t