"There was a battle on the shores of Lake George, at a point where our
men had been building boats. They were besieged by a mixed force of
French and Indians, commanded by the great French partisan leader, St.
Luc. They beat off the attacks, but they would have been overcome in
time, if you had not hurried to their relief, with a strong force and
two brass cannon."

"That is true and if the Governor and Legislature of Massachusetts had
done their full duty we'd have had twice as many men and four, six, or
even eight cannon in place of two. But what do you know about those
things?"

"There were two boys, one Indian and one white, who came on the lake,
telling you of the plight of the boat builders. The Indian was Tayoga of
the Clan of the Bear, of the Nation Onondaga, of the Great League of the
Hodenosaunee, the finest trailer in the world. The white boy was Robert
Lennox, of the Province of New York."

"Aye, you speak truly. Full well do I remember them. How could I forget
them? Tayoga is back there now with the hunter Willet, doing some great
service in the war, what I know not, but it is something surely great.
The white boy, Robert Lennox, is dead. A great loss, too! A fine and
gallant lad."

"How do you know he is dead?"

"I had it in a letter from Master Benjamin Hardy of New York, with whom
I often transact affairs of business, and he, in turn, had it from one
Jacobus Huysman, a burgher of Albany in most excellent standing. Parts
of the matter are obscure, but the result is certain. It seems that the