s along, over rocks and ravines
and through thick underwood, with starvation staring us in the face. I
had never been a hearty feeder, and could bear the want of provisions
better than those in good health and who had accustomed themselves to
cramming. But poor Johnson fainted several times on the march, and
O'Brien suffered more than he would tell. Every thing eatable was at
length entirely used. Several dogs, generally favourites of their
owners, had been killed and entirely devoured, even to the entrails.
O'Brien, Johnson and myself boiled our moccasins, to see if any
nourishment could be drawn from the deer-skin. But the skins were dry.
It seemed as if we were doomed to starvation. No game of any kind
appeared, and even the eatable roots were not to be found. I remember
seeing a party of men, Johnson among them, discover a well-known root in
the sand and rush for it as if it had been a diamond. The man who got it
devoured it instantly, though at any other time it would have made him
sick."

"I wonder how those men would have acted if they had met such a loaded
table as this in the woods," said Hand.

"Acted!" said Davenport. "Like wolves, whose bellies had been pinched
with hunger for a week. You may judge from what I tell you. As we were
marching slowly through the woods, a set of ragged skeletons, the
foremost of the party caught sight of some Canadians and Indians coming
towards us, with great packages and bundles which we knew were the
provisions sent by Colonel Arnold. There was a perfect yell of joy, and
the whole party rushed towards them. But Major Bigelow and his officers
kept the men off from the food, at the sword's point. The food was then
distributed in very small quantities to each man. How it disappeared! I
venture to say that ten minutes after the men received their shares,
they had devoured them all. The Canadians and Indians were ordered to
keep enough provisions for the other troops, who were fed as they came
up. At last we caught sight of the French settlement of Sertigan, where
Colonel Arnold had arrived some days before. The people came out to
receive us; but they wondered at us as if we were more than men. They
offered us plenty of food and clothing, and took care of the sick.
Within four or five days, the whole army was collected by small parties
at Sertigan."

"What was the number of the troops who arrived safe?" enquired Pitts.

"About five hundred and fifty men, I suppose," replied Dav