en men at his heels, as fresh as though he had rested
for a night instead of for an hour. His muscles were seemingly of steel
and his limbs of iron. He led at such a pace that Enoch Harding, who
came first behind him, could scarcely keep up with his stride and place
his feet, Indian fashion, in the prints of his friend's moccasins.

The company of scouts traveled in single file and, having no need to
follow the wood-road on which the army was marching, they soon left that
out of view. 'Siah found an Indian path which suited him far better than
the broader trail, for it would bring them much sooner to the lake, and
for hour after hour he strode on with scarce a look behind him to see
how his companions kept up. The men he had chosen, save Enoch, were
tried and trained woodsmen, with powers of endurance second only to his
own. And as for the lad whom he loved, he knew his high spirit and
pride. Enoch Harding would not fall behind until the last ounce of his
strength had been expended.

Finally the party reached a little stream and here the leader gave the
signal to halt. Enoch flung himself down on the short sward and fell
asleep almost instantly. 'Siah looked down upon him in some pride.
"That's the stuff we make men of in this country," he said aloud. "I
knew his father as well as I know myself. The lad will be another Jonas
Harding."

"He'll hold us back if we've to keep up this pace, 'Siah," said one of
the others, doubtfully.

"Nay, you're mistaken there, neighbor. You and I will travel until we
feel that it ain't best for us to go any furder. Enoch'll keep up till
he drops. He won't hold us back."

And it was true. Others of the party cried "enough!" before the
afternoon was over; but the youth, his lips pale and compressed and the
perspiration fairly pouring from his limbs, would have died before he
acknowledged that the pace was too great for him. At night 'Siah called
another halt and they ate heartily of such provisions as they carried
and then lay down to rest. But 'Siah arranged for a guard. They were
nearing the lake now and some ill-affected settler (there were several
families of Tories near Champlain) might see them and wonder what such a
large party of armed men was doing here. If the news of the approach of
the main army did not travel ahead, it would be more because of good
fortune than good management.

The party broke up into groups of two and three in the morning and went
different ways to the