chance whatever of their being overtaken. They slackened their speed
slightly as they approached the land, and rowed up to the landing
place without any signs of extraordinary haste. A few men were
loitering about.

"What's the news from the island?" one asked as they landed.

"All well there," Peter said.

"Did you see anything of Schuyler?"

"Yes, we met him about halfway across."

"What have you come for?"

"General Montgomery says that no spare flints have been sent over for
the firelocks."

"I'll swear that some went," one of the men exclaimed, "for I packed
a sack of them myself in one of the boats."

"I s'pose they have been mislaid," Peter said. "Perhaps some of the
stores have got heaped over 'em. Ef you are quite sartin, we have had
our journey for nothing."

"As sartin as life," the man replied. "I'll swear to the sackful of
flints; and tarnation heavy they was, too."

"Well, then, I need not trouble about it further," Peter said. "We'll
take a rest and paddle back in an hour or two. Was there any marks on