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