lay in hiding, watching the movements from the fort, and keeping a
wary eye upon those who came and went, ready to pounce out upon any
straggler who should adventure himself unawares into the forest,
and carry him off captive to the English camp.

Certain tidings as to the course the campaign was likely to take
were urgently wanted by this time. The posts to the English fort
brought in no news save that it was thought better for the army on
the western frontier to remain upon the defensive, and no talk of
sending large reinforcements came to cheer or encourage them.
Winslow was impatient and resentful. He thought there were
mismanagement and lack of energy. He knew that the provinces had
been roused at last out of their lethargy, and had pledged
themselves to some active effort to check French aggression; yet
weeks were slipping by, one after the other, and no help of any
consequence came to the army on the outskirts. No command reached
the eager soldiers for a blow to be struck there, as had been
confidently expected.

Perhaps the French might be better informed as to what was going on
in other parts of the great continent, and so prisoners were wanted
more urgently than ever.

At midday upon a steamy midsummer day, one of the young Rangers who
had been wandering about near to the camp in search of game came
back with cautious haste to report that he had seen a small party
of French leaving the fort by the water gate, cross the narrow
waterway, and plunge into the forest. He had observed the direction
taken, and thought they could easily surround and cut them off. He
did not think there were more than six in the party; probably they