Adventure Magazine Cover — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

of Trout Brook, then bear~back to strike the path leading to Sabbath Day Point. “Send scouts ahead to learn if any of our boats are at the point, and if there are make the rest of the trip by water. But the prisoners must be delivered at the fort. Cap’n Putnam and I will follow.” Then, turning to one of the prisoners, an in- telligent-appearing young man, Rogers asked— “Why are so many soldiers hurrying to Ticon- deroga?”’ The prisoner shrugged his shoulders and re- plied: “You know. The English are about to ad- vance in force. M. de Vaudreuil is rushing all available men from Fort St. Jean.” Rogers repeated this to Putnam, and the lat- ter declared: “Then the girl’s first message got through. She found some one to take it before she reached Fort Edward and learned from Lyman that there was no chance of our attacking in force. By heavens, major, she wasn’t the only spy in Albany.” A RANGER was sent to observe what happened beyond the point. By the time the whale-boats were hidden—for Rogers intended to return and make use of them again—the scout returned. “The schooner’s crew was striving desper- ately to work her into the lake and was signal- ing furiously to the bateaux. The sloops were bearing down on her, and there was much firing of guns to attract the attention of all distant craft. The partizan leader hesitated. Even now, he was confident, it would be possible to capture and destroy the schooner. But if the destruction of the schooner en- tailed loss of life among his rangers he would be making a poor exchange. Schooners could be turned out rapidly, but it took time to make a ranger. “Swing your packs!” he ordered; and the rangers with their prisoners filed into the silent forest. Satisfying himself that the boats were effec- tually concealed, Rogers paused only long enough to bury the keg of brandy and then with Putnam at his heels struck off up the lake, keeping close to the shore. Toward night they came upon a birch canoe and hid near it until dark, then took to the water and silently pad- dled up the lake. Their strenuous efforts ad- vanced them to within a few miles of Crown Point by the time the sun drove them to cover. That day they lay close, spending much of the time in sleeping and seeking to forget their ravenous hunger. During the late afternoon they watched numerous boats make back and forth in search of the mysterious raiders. But 69 long as they watched they saw nothing to The Bushfighters 33 indicate that the five whale-boats had been found. “It’s puzzling the Frenchmen like sin,” chuckled Rogers as they prepared to depart. “They can’t understand where the pirates come from.” The next leg of their journey was to be on foot, their need of food sending them forth be- fore it was fairly dark. The enemy, however, never dreamed of the foe lingering so far north of Ticonderoga, and the two adventurers swung along briskly over a well-beaten trail. Soldiers were occasionaly coming and going, also frequent bands of Indians. Avoiding these without much difficulty, they covered some- thing better than ten miles, or until they were within dangerous proximity of Ticonderoga. . Once they came near being discovered. Be- cause of the darkness and their growing con- fidence, coupled to their keen desire to find some habitation where they could secure food, they held on their way too boldly and unexpectedly came upon a small band of Indians camped at one side of the trail. Rogers gave Putnam a warning with his el- bow and began jabbering in French. Neither paid any heed to the savages. An Indian called out for them to join them, Rogers waved his hand and held to the path. Two of the savages jumped to their feet as if intending to run after them and bring them back, but thought better of it and dropped back by the fire. “Just luck,’”’ murmured Rogers. “If they’d been French Mohawks instead of big-lake In- dians they’d have spotted us at once.’ “Saved them two scalps,” Putnam grimly replied. “If those two had come after us there would ’a’ been two less of the devils.” Near “midnight they halted at the foot of a low, wooded hill. At the base on the opposite side of this was located one of the French ad- vanced posts. Skirting the hill on the west side so as to keep clear of the outpost and planning to make the outlet of Lake George, they swung too far aside and before they knew it were blundering close to several camp-fires. This they knew must be a temporary camp of soldiers. Recovering their assurance as no alarm was given, they decided to approach nearer. Where there were soldiers there must be food. They crawled on their hands and knees side by side, watching out for the sentinels. Neither remembered that the French, unlike the English, posted their sentinels well outside the range of their fires. And so it was with much dismay, and while they were yet some distance from the fires, that they heard a sharp “Qui vive?” hurled at them from behind. Both rolled in the same direction and fell into a clay pit, Putnam being underneath. Out of the darkness came the flash of a gun. COnNIGLOO© S com