The two Rogerses, together with Stark, Fritz, and the silent, watchful Charles, gathered in a knot a little apart, and Rogers laid before them, in a few brief speeches, the situation of affairs upon the lake.

Lake Champlain, the more northern and the larger of the twin lakes, was altogether guarded by the French.  St. John stood at its head, and Crown Point guarded it lower down—­being a great fortified promontory, where the lake narrowed to a very small passage, widening out again below, till it reached the other strong fort and colony of Ticonderoga, where Lake George formed a junction with it, though the lake itself still ran an independent course to the south, parallel with Lake George, being fed by the waters of Wood Creek, a narrow, river-like inlet, which was a second waterway into the larger lake.

The position of Ticonderoga was, therefore, very important, as it commanded both these waterways; and even if the English could succeed in avoiding the guns of that fort, there was still Crown Point, further to the north, to keep them from advancing.

In addition to these advantages, the French had won the local Indians to their side; and though they did much towards embarrassing their white allies, and were a perfect nuisance both to officers and men, they were too useful to risk offending or to be dispensed with, as they were always ready for a dash upon any English scouting parties, and formed a sort of balance to the tactics of the English Rangers.

“They are villainous foes!” said Rogers, with a dark scowl.  “It is their great joy to take prisoners; and when the French have extracted from them all the information they can as to the strength and prospects of the English, the Indians will claim them again, to scalp and burn, and the French scarcely raise a protest.  It is said that they speak with disgust of the barbarities of these savage allies, but they do little or nothing to check them.  That is why my wrath often rises higher against the French than against the Indians themselves.  They know no better; but for white man to deliver white man into their hands—­that is what makes my blood boil!”

The fire leaped up in Charles’s eyes, and he had his tale to tell, at hearing of which the Rogerses set their teeth and muttered curses not loud but deep.

“Now will I tell you what we started forth to do,” said the leader of the band.  “We have been busy all winter.  Last month we skated down the lake when it was clear of snow, passed Ticonderoga all unseen, intercepted some sledges of provisions, and carried them and their drivers to our fort.  Now we are bent upon a longer journey.  We want to reach Crown Point, and make a plan of the works for our brave Commander Winslow.  We were a part of the way on our route, when we fell in with Indians conveying provisions to the French on these sledges.  We took them from them and dispersed the crew; but they must have scattered and got help, and they set