Roche was his companion on those excursions; and the two had climbed together to a commanding height, when upon the dawn of a glorious midsummer morning they saw the long-expected flotilla covering the lake and making headway up it.

What a sight it was!  The hearts of the onlookers seemed to stand still within them as they looked.  And yet it was a magnificent spectacle.  Myriads and myriads of Indian canoes like flocks of waterfowl seemed swarming everywhere, whilst from two to three hundred bateaux conveyed the French and Canadian soldiers.  Then there were great platforms bearing the heavy guns, and rowed by huge sweeps, as well as being assisted by the bateaux; whilst the blaze of colour formed by the uniforms of the various battalions formed in itself a picture which had seldom been seen in these savage solitudes.

“We shall have our work cut out to face such odds!” cried Fritz, as he turned to dash down the hill and regain his canoe.  But Roche laid a hand upon his arm, and pointed significantly in another direction.

Fritz looked, and a smothered exclamation, almost like a groan, broke from him.

Far away through the mazes of the forest, skirting round towards the doomed fort by a road parallel with the lake, was a large body of troops—­how large the spectators could not guess, but they saw enough to tell them that it was a very considerable detachment.  Such an army as the one now marching upon Fort William Henry had not been seen there before.  To those who knew the weakness of the fort and of its garrison it seemed already as though the day were lost.

Moreover these men knew that the great Marquis de Montcalm himself was coming this time to take personal command, and his name inspired respect and a certain fear.  He was known to be a general of considerable distinction; it was felt that there would be no blundering when he was at the head of the expedition.

To fly back to the fort with these ominous tidings was but the work of a few short hours.  In a moment all was stir and bustle.  The soldiers were not to be disheartened.  They were ready and almost eager for the battle, having become weary of inaction and suspense.  But the face of Colonel Monro was grave and stern, and he called Fritz aside presently and conferred with him apart.

“I must send a messenger to Fort Edward to General Webb, to report to him our sorry plight.  He has said that he can spare no more men; but this extremity of ours should be told him.  Think you that you can take a letter safely to him?  You Rangers are the best of messengers; and you have seen this great armament, and can speak with authority concerning it.  Tell him how sore our need is.  It may be that he can hurry up the reinforcements, or that they may be already on their way.  Even a few hundreds would be better than none.  At least he should know our need.”

Fritz was ready in a moment to take the message, but he had small hope of any result, and he saw that the brave Colonel had little either.  General Webb was a man upon whose courage and generalship several aspersions had already been cast.  If ever he was to regain confidence and show these aspersions to be untrue, this was the time to show himself in his true colours.  But it was with no confidence that Fritz set forth upon his errand.