Rogers was their leader.  He knew the forest well; yet even he found it a somewhat difficult matter to pick his way through the dense summer foliage.  The columns following found the forest tracks extraordinarily difficult to follow.  They were many of them unused to such rough walking, and fell into inevitable confusion.

Rogers, together with Lord Howe and some of his hardier soldiers and the Rangers, pushed boldly on.  Whilst they walked they talked of what lay before them.  Rogers told how Montcalm himself was within the fort, and that his presence there inspired the soldiers with great courage and confidence; because he was a fine soldier, a very gallant gentleman, and had had considerable success in arms ever since he arrived in Canada.

As the forest tracks grew more densely overgrown, Lord Howe paused in his rapid walk beside Rogers.

“My men are growing puzzled by the forest,” he said, “and indeed it is small wonder, seeing that we ourselves scarce know where we are.  Go you on with the Rangers, Rogers, and I will return a short distance and get my men into better order.  I do not anticipate an ambush; but there may be enemies lurking in the woods.  We must not be taken unawares.  Push you on, and I will follow with my company at a short distance.”

“I will take a handful of men with me,” answered Rogers, “and push on to reconnoitre.  Let the rest remain with you.  They will encourage and hearten up the regulars, who are new to this sort of thing; and when I know more clearly our exact position, I will fall back and report.”

Fritz remained with Howe, whose men came marching up in a rather confused and straggling fashion, but were only perplexed, not in any wise disheartened, by the roughness of the road.  When the column had regained something like marching order, the word was given to start, and Lord Howe with a bodyguard of Rangers marched at the head.

They had proceeded like this for perhaps a mile or more, when there was a quick stir in the thicket.  Next moment the challenge rang out: 

“Qui vive?”

“Francais!” shouted back a Ranger, who had learned Rogers’ trick of puzzling his opponents by the use of French words.

But this time they were not deceived.  A stern word of command was given.  A crack of rifles sounded out from the bushes; puffs of smoke and flashes of fire were seen.

“Steady, men; load and fire!”

The command was given by Lord Howe.  It was the last he ever spoke.  The wood rang with the crossfire of the foes who could not see each other.  Fritz had discharged his piece, and was loading again when he saw Lord Howe suddenly throw up his hands and fall helplessly forward.

He sprang to his side with a cry of dismay.  He strove to hold him up and support him to some place of safety, but could only lay him down beneath a tree hard by, where a ring of Rangers instantly formed around him, whilst the skirmish in the forest was hotly maintained on both sides.