Scarcely had he landed, when a young officer in the same uniform met him.  He looked surprised, hesitated, and then stopped.

“I see you belong to our regiment,” he said.  “Have you just arrived from England?  What ship did you come in?”

“I have been out here some time,” James replied.  “My name is Walsham.  I believe I was gazetted to your regiment some months ago, but I only heard the news on my arrival at New York last week.”

“Oh, you are Walsham!” the young officer said.  “My name is Edwards.  I am glad to meet you.  We have been wondering when you would join us, and envying your luck, in seeing so much of the fighting out here.  Our regiment is encamped about half a mile from here.  If you will let me, I will go back with you, and introduce you to our fellows.”

James thanked him, and the two walked along talking together.  James learned that there were already five ensigns junior to himself, his new acquaintance being one of them, as the regiment had been somewhat short of officers, and the vacancies had been filled up shortly before it sailed.

“Of course, we must call on the colonel first,” Mr. Edwards said.  “He is a capital fellow, and very much liked in the regiment.”

Colonel Otway received James with great cordiality.

“We are very glad to get you with us, Mr. Walsham,” he said, “and we consider it a credit to the regiment to have a young officer who has been, three times, mentioned in despatches.  You will, too, be a great service to us, and will be able to give us a good many hints as to this Indian method of fighting, which Braddock’s men found so terrible.”

“It is not formidable, sir, when you are accustomed to it; but, unfortunately, General Braddock forced his men to fight in regular fashion, that is, to stand up and be shot at, and that mode of fighting, in the woods, is fatal.  A hundred redskins would be more than a match, in the forest, for ten times their number of white troops, who persisted in fighting in such a ridiculous way; but, fighting in their own way, white men are a match for the redskins.  Indeed, the frontiersmen can thrash the Indians, even if they are two or three to one against them.”

“You have been in this last affair on the lake, have you not, Mr. Walsham?  I heard you were with Johnson.”

“Yes, sir, I was, and at the beginning it was very nearly a repetition of Braddock’s disaster; but, after being surprised and, at first, beaten, the column that went out made such a stout fight of it, that it gave us time to put the camp in a state of defence.  Had the Indians made a rush, I think they would have carried it; but, as they contented themselves with keeping up a distant fire, the provincials, who were all young troops, quite unaccustomed to fighting, and wholly without drill or discipline, gradually got steady, and at length sallied out and beat them decisively.”

“I will not detain you, now,” the colonel said; “but I hope, ere long, you will give us a full and detailed account of the fighting you have been in, with your idea of the best way of training regular troops for the sort of work we have before us.  Mr. Edwards will take you over to the mess, and introduce you to your brother officers.”