“And so ends that attempt!” he said.

An hour later he saw a white flag among the trees, and when Willet mounted the palisade two French officers came forward.  Robert saw at once that they were De Courcelles and Jumonville, and his heart beat hard.  They linked him with Quebec, in which he had spent some momentous days, and despite their treachery to him he did not feel hatred of them at that moment.

“Will you stay with me, Mr. Willet, and you also, Mr. Lennox, while I talk to them?” asked Captain Colden.  “You know these Frenchmen better than I do, and their experience is so much greater than mine that I need your help.”

Robert and the hunter assented gladly.  Robert, in truth, was very curious to hear what these old friends and enemies of his had to say, and he felt a thrill when the two recognized and saluted him in the most friendly fashion, just as if they had never meant him any harm.

“Chance brings about strange meetings between us, Mr. Lennox,” said De Courcelles.  “It gives me pleasure to note that you have not yet taken any personal harm from our siege.”

“Nor you nor Monsieur de Jumonville, from our successful defense,” replied Robert in the same spirit.

“You have us there.  The points so far are in your favor, although only superficially so, as I shall make clear to you presently.”

Then De Courcelles turned his attention to Colden, who he saw was the nominal leader of the garrison.

“My name,” he said, “is Auguste de Courcelles, a colonel in the service of His Majesty, King Louis of France.  My friend is Captain Francois de Jumonville, and we have the honor to lead the numerous and powerful force of French and Indians now besieging you.”

“And my name is Colden, Captain James Colden,” replied the young officer.  “I’ve heard of you from my friends, Mr. Lennox and Mr. Willet, and I have the honor of asking you what I can do for you.”

“You cannot do for us more than you can do for yourself, Captain Colden.  We ask the surrender of your little fort, and of your little garrison, which we freely admit has defended itself most gallantly.  It’s not necessary for us to make an assault.  You’re deep in the wilderness, we can hold you here all winter, and help cannot possibly come to you.  We guarantee you good treatment in Canada, where you will be held until the war is over.”

Young Colden smiled.  They were standing before the single gate in the palisade, and he looked back at the solid buildings, erected by the hands of his own men, with the comfortable smoke curling up against the cold sky.  And he looked also at the wintry forest that curved in every direction.

“Colonel de Courcelles,” he said, “it seems to me that we are in and you are out.  If it comes to holding us here all winter we who have good houses can stand it much better than you who merely have the forest as a home, where you will be rained upon, snowed upon, hailed upon, and maybe frozen.  Why should we exchange our warm house for your cold forest?”