ghost. 'Tis a solid hand that I hold in mine!"

"I'm no ghost, though I did vanish from the world for a while," said
Robert. "But, as you see, I've come back and I mean to have a part in
the taking of Quebec."

Wilton and Carson, Stuart and Cabell soon came, and then Grosvenor, and
every one in his turn welcomed Robert back from the dead, after which he
gave to them collectively a rapid outline of his story.

"'Tis a strange tale, a romance," said Grosvenor. "It's evident that
it's not intended you shall lose your life in this war, Lennox. What has
become of that wonderful Onondaga Indian, Tayoga, and the great hunter,
Willet?"

"They're both here. You shall see them before the day is over. But what
is the feeling in the army?"

"We're depressed and the French are elated. It's because we lost the
Montmorency battle. The Royal Americans and the Grenadiers were too
impulsive. We tried to rush slopes damp and slippery from rain, and we
were cut up. I received a wound there, and so did Wilton, but neither
amounts to anything, and I want to tell you, Lennox, that, although
we're depressed, we're not withdrawing. Our general is sick a good deal,
but the sicker he grows the braver he grows. We hang on. The French say
we can continue hanging on, and then the winter will drive us away. You
know what the Quebec winter is. But we'll see. Maybe something will
happen before winter comes."

As Robert turned away from the little group he came face to face with a