ce to get strong again."

That night we embarked in whaleboats. There were about two hundred men
in our party. It was made up of a few of Gage's light infantry, under
Captain Dunbar, and the rest were Rangers, among whom were fifty Mohegan
Indians from Stockbridge. We rowed over to the east shore and went down
the lake. Several canoes were sent ahead to warn us if any of the enemy
were out. Cloth was wound round our oars where they rested in the
rowlocks. We had orders not to utter a word, to make no noise.

The boats moved in single file close to the shore where it was darkest.
Before daybreak we landed and lifted the boats from the water and
carried them into the woods. We lay hidden there during the day. We did
not believe that we were going to the west, but could not guess the
purpose of the expedition.

The next night we embarked again, and rowed slowly in perfect silence
with an advanced guard of canoes.

Night after night we did this, always keeping in the shadow of the
shore; and as we got toward the lower part of the lake, we did not
start till late at night, and pulled our boats up into the bushes long
before the day began to break. Several times our scouts came back and
whispered that the enemy's boats were out. Then we went in close to the
shore and waited till they were out of hearing distance.

[Sidenote: A MYSTERIOUS EXPEDITION]

We were not allowed to make fires, and as we approached the lower end of
the lake and lay hidden in the woods, we could see sloops and boats of
the enemy out on the lake in the daytime. We had to proceed slowly and
with the utmost caution.

If we had not been on a perilous expedition into the enemy's country to
some unknown point and for some mysterious purpose, about which we were
worrying, this trip down the lake would have been delightful. The leaves
were just changing colour. The days were perfect. The lake was
beautiful, and we should have gazed with pleasure at the boats that we
saw, had we not known that they were full of enemies who would have been
well pleased to take our scalps and roast us at the stake.

On the fifth day out, by some accident there was an explosion of
gunpowder, and several of the men were burned and had to be sent back.
Some were sick, and returned with them, so that by the time we reached
Missisquoi Bay at the lower end of the lake our force was reduced to one
hundred and forty-five men.

It was apparent that this was no expedition to the w