he lake, opened
heavy musketry fire upon it. They were a formidable body. Vaudreuil,
the governor of Canada, had spared no pains to make the blow a
successful one. The force had been assembled at Crown Point, and
numbered sixteen hundred regulars, Canadians, and Indians. Everything
needful for their comfort had been provided--overcoats, blankets, bear
skins to sleep on, and tarpaulins to cover them. They had been provided
with twelve days' provisions, which were placed on hand sledges and
drawn by the troops.

They marched, over the ice of Lake Champlain, down to Ticonderoga,
where they rested a week, and constructed three hundred scaling
ladders. Three days' further march, up Lake George, brought them to the
English fort.

The weak point of the expedition was its leader, for Vaudreuil, who was
himself a Canadian, had the greatest jealousy of the French officers,
and had intrusted the command of the expedition to his brother, Rigaud.

The fire did no damage, as the garrison lay sheltered behind their
entrenchments, replying occasionally whenever the enemy mustered in
force, as if with an intention of attacking.

"I don't think they mean business, this time, captain," Nat said in a
tone of disgust. "Why, there are enough of them to eat us, if they
could but make up their minds to come on. They don't suppose they are
going to take William Henry by blazing a way at it half a mile off!"

"Perhaps they are going to make a night attack," James said. "They will
have learned all about the position of our works."

"Maybe so," Nat replied; "but I don't think so. When chaps don't attack
at once, when there are four or five to one, I reckon that they ain't
likely to attack at all. They meant to surprise us, and they haven't,
and it seems to me as it has taken all the heart out of them."

As evening approached, the fire ceased. At nightfall, strong guards
were placed round the entrenchments, and the troops retired to their
quarters, ready to turn out at a minute's notice.

About midnight they were called out. There was again a sound on the
lake. The cannon at once opened, and, as before, all was silent again.

"Look, Walsham, look!" Edwards exclaimed. "They have set fire to the
sloops."

As he spoke, a tongue of flame started up from one of the two vessels
lying in the ice, close to the shore, and, almost simultaneously,
flames shot up from among the boats drawn up on the beach.

"That's redskin work," Nat exclaimed.