strong as I
was. But I would rather have tramped about, for the rest of my life,
than remain there under your mother's reproachful eye. However, thank
God you came through it all right, and, after such a lesson, I should
hope that we shall never have repetition of such a disaster as that. As
an old soldier, I cannot agree with what you say about the uselessness
of drill, even for fighting in a forest. It must accustom men to listen
to the voice of their officers, and to obey orders promptly and
quickly, and I cannot but think that, if the troops had gone forward at
a brisk double, they would have driven the Indians before them. As to
the whooping and yells you talk so much about, I should think nothing
of them; they are no more to be regarded than the shrieks of women, or
the braying of donkeys."

James smiled as he read this, and thought that, if the old soldier had
heard that chaos of blood-curdling cries break out, in the still depth
of the forest, he would not write of them with such equanimity.

"You will have heard, from the squire, that you are gazetted to Otway's
regiment which, with others, is to cross the Atlantic in a few weeks,
when it is generally supposed war will be formally declared. Your
experience will be of great use to you, and ought to get you a good
staff appointment. I expect that, in the course of a year, there will
be fighting on a large scale on your side of the water, and the English
ought to get the best of it, for France seems, at present, to be
thinking a great deal more of her affairs in Europe than of her
colonies in America. So much the better, for, if we can take Canada, we
shall strike a heavy blow to her trade, and some day North America is
going to be an important place in the world."

The letters had been lying there several weeks, and James knew that
Otway's regiment had, with the others, arrived a few days before, and
had already marched for Albany. Thinking himself entitled to a little
rest, after his labours, he remained for another week in New York,
while his uniform was being made, and then took a passage in a trading
boat up to Albany.

Scarcely had he landed, when a young officer in the same uniform met
him. He looked surprised, hesitated, and then stopped.

"I see you belong to our regiment," he said. "Have you just arrived
from England? What ship did you come in?"

"I have been out here some time," James replied. "My name is Walsham. I
believe I was gazetted to you