“And we’ll go through to Quebec!” said Robert, his eyes flashing, his imagination at once alive.  “We’ll put out forever the fire that’s always burning in the north and give our border peace.”

“Easy, lads, easy!” said Willet.  “A thing’s never done until it’s done.  I feel pretty sure we’ll do it, but we’ll reckon with present difficulties first.  It seems to me it’s our duty now to follow St. Luc, and see what he means to do with his force.  It’s hard on you, Lieutenant, because you’ll have to stay with us.  You can’t go back to Albany just yet.”

Grosvenor glanced around at the unbroken forest.  “I’m resigned,” he said.  “After that wonderful escape I’m ready for anything.  I see that this is my great chance to become a scout, and I’ll do the best I can.”

“I take it,” said Black Rifle, “that the main object of St. Luc is to clear the forest of all our scouts and skirmishers in order that we may be kept in complete ignorance of Montcalm’s movements.  We’ll show him that he can’t do it.  You have not forgotten any of your skill, have you, Tayoga?”

“So far from forgetting any of it he’s acquired more,” said Willet, answering for the Onondaga.  “When it comes to trailing that boy just breathes it in.  He adds some new tricks every day.  But I think we’d better lie by, the rest of to-day, and to-night, don’t you, Black Rifle?  We don’t want to wear out our lads at the start.”

“Well spoken, Dave,” responded Black Rifle.  “It’s a camp in the enemy’s country we’ll have to make with the warriors all about us, but we must take the risk.  We’d better go to the next brook and walk up it a long distance.  It’s the oldest of all tricks to hide your trail, but it is still the best.”

They found the brook only a few hundred yards farther on, and extended their walk along its pebbly bed fully a mile and a half as a precaution, keeping to their wading until they could emerge on rocky ground, where they left no trail.

“It will be only chance now that will bring them down on us,” said Willet.  “Do you think, Lieutenant, that after such a long walk you could manage another bear steak?”

“If the company will join me!” replied Grosvenor.  “I don’t wish to show bad manners.”

“I’ll join you,” said Willet, speaking for the others, “and I think we’ll make a brief camp on that wooded hill there.”

“Why on a hill, Mr. Willet?  Why not in a hollow where it seems to me we would be better hidden?”

“Because, besides hiding ourselves, we want to see, and you can see better from a height than from a valley.  In the bushes there we’ll have a view all about us, and I don’t think our enemies can come too near, unseen by us.  When we get into the thicket on the hill, Lieutenant, you can resume that pleasant nap that you did not finish.  Eight or ten hours more of sleep will be just the thing for you.”

“All of you sleep a while,” said Black Rifle.  “I’ll guard.  I’m fresh.  But be sure you walk on the stones.  We must leave no trace.”