u any
promise in regard to your ultimate fate, but, at present, I need you
alive more than I need you dead."

"You won't get any military information out of me."

"I don't know. We shall wait and see."

"Do you know the Chevalier de St. Luc?"

"Of course. All Frenchmen and all Canadians know him, or know of him,
but he is far from here, and we shall not tell him that we have a
young American prisoner. The chevalier is a great soldier and the
bravest of men, but he has one fault. He does not hate the English and
the Bostonnais enough."

Robert was not bound, but his arms and snowshoes had been taken and
the Indians were all about him. There was no earthly chance of escape.
With the wisdom of the wise he resigned himself at once to his
situation, awaiting a better moment.

"I'm at your command," he said politely to Langlade.

The French leader laughed, partly in appreciation.

"You show intelligence," he said. "You do not resist, when you see
that resistance is impossible."

Robert settled himself into a more comfortable position by the fire.
His head still ached, but it was growing easier. He knew that it was
best to assume a careless and indifferent tone.

"I'm not ready to leave you now," he said, "but I shall go later."

Langlade laughed again, and then directed two of the Indians to hunt
more wood. They obeyed. Robert saw that they never questioned his
leadership, and he saw anew how the French partisans established
themselves so thoroughly in the Indian confidence. The others threw
away more snow, making a comparatively large area of cleared ground,
and, when the wood was brought, they built a great fire, around which
all of them sat and ate heartily from their packs.

Langlade gave Robert food which he forced himself to eat, although he
was not hungry. He judged that the French partisan, who could be cruel
enough on occasion, had some object in treating him well for the
present, and he was not one to disturb such a welcome frame of mind.
His weapons and the extra rifle of Garay that they had brought with
them, had already been divided among the warriors, who, pleased with
the reward, were content to wait.

The night was spent at the captured camp, and in the morning the
entire party, Robert included, started on snowshoes almost due north.
The young prisoner felt a sinking of the heart, when his face was
turned away from his own people, and he began an unknown captivity. He
had been certain at first