s battered to pieces,
the garrison surrendered. They had given up their arms and were
marching back to the English army, when the drunken Indians set upon
them and killed and scalped most of the force. Martin caught up a little
boy whose parents had been killed, and escaped through the dense woods.

[Sidenote: AN ALARM]

We marched down the lake in three files, threading our way among the
islands and skirting the steep cliffs. The lake stretched out before us,
covered with thick ice. On the further side were the woods and
mountains.

We camped near the First Narrows that night. The next day we turned away
from the lake and went to a cape called Sebattis Point.

"What's the matter, Martin? Why do we halt?"

"Didn't you see a dog run across the lake, some distance down?"

"Yes, I saw something go across."

"Well, it was a dog, and if there was a dog, there were probably Indians
with him. What would a dog be doing out here alone?"

We camped in the woods, and after it was dark skated down the lake.

Our advanced guard sent back word that they thought they had seen a fire
on an island. We hid our hand-sleighs and packs and went there, but
could find no signs of a fire.

Rogers said that very likely it was the light from some old rotten
stumps, but Martin was not of this opinion.

"There was a fire there. First we see the dog, and then the fire. The
fire could be put out, and it would be difficult to find the burnt
sticks in the dark. If it were the light from old wood, some one of all
this party would have seen it. The French are no fools. They knew we
were coming, and some Indians are watching us. We'll have a hot time
before we get back."

We now left the lake, lest we should be seen, and marched through the
woods back of the mountain which overlooked Fort Ticonderoga. At noon we
halted.

Rogers said: "We are about two miles from the advanced guard of the
French. We will wait here a couple of hours, and then go on. When night
comes, we will make an ambush in the paths, and capture some of the
guards as they come out in the morning."

[Sidenote: AN AMBUSCADE]

We started on again, with a brook on our left and a steep mountain on
our right.

We kept a sharp watch on the brook, for the enemy would probably travel
on it, as the snow was four feet deep.

Our advanced guard came back and reported that the enemy were ahead.
That there were ninety of them, mostly Indians. They were coming down
the brook. Th