Adventure Magazine Cover — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

26 Adventure Many times before this Rogers had picked the Connecticut farmer for his companion on scouts down the lake and to the close vicinity of Ti- conderoga. Under their leadership Roger’s Rangers had made a name which was a house- hold word throughout the colonies. After he had finished explaining his plans Putnam briefly related his experiences in Al- any and his pursuit of the Lidindick girl. As Rogers listened there was a suggestion of worry on his bold face. His features relaxed, how- ever, when Putnam told of Lidindick’s death. “So Jan the Rogue is dead, eh?” he mused. “It’s best so. It’s best so.” “Ephraim Willis fears the girl is lost and will come to harm in these wild woods. I fear she will be able to make Montreal and tell a parcel of things we don’t want the French to know,” added Putnam. “Elizabeth Lidindick won’t get lost,’’ slowly Rogers assured him. ‘‘More than once she has ranged the Iroquois country in perfect safety when the English traders didn’t dare enter the Mohawk Valley. That’s the Dutch blood in her. There’s more than one vrouw in Albany who has gone alone through the forests of the Long House and made their bargains with the Iro- quois, and returned with the best of. the bar- gain at that. Jan’s girl can give points to lots of rangers when it comes to following a trail or * hiding her own. And old Jan’s dead.” Putnam concealed a smile; for he believed Rogers and Lidindick had been partners in many smuggling deals before the war broke out. Rogers now continued: “About the girl. I don’t believe she can do usany harm. Ifyou ever come across her, send for me before turning her over to the army off- cers. She’s a wild little thing and might do herself harm by saying things in a boasting way “She isn’t the right sort for a spy. Her mother was French. Her father always held it against the English for taking Dutch Orange and making it Albany, and, on the side, spoiling the Dutch traders’ game with the Long House. The girl doesn’t see where she owes anything to his Majesty. I’m glad your man Willis is in- terested in her.” “Tamnot. He’s of asober, honest Connecti- cut family. She’s half-French, half-Dutch. He should take a Connecticut girl for a wife; never this girl, who has dressed up as a fop and strutted through the tap-rooms in New York, and who is now living like a wildcat out in the woods.” “You mustn’t misjudge her, Israel,’”’ Rogers gravely insisted. ‘‘I tell you she is a good girl even if Jan the Rogue was her father, and even if she did cut up some capers down in New York and is doing up here the things you say she is.” “Scalps and brimstone! Didn’t I seethe message she tried to send through by the Caugh- nawaga Iroquois? Didn’t it advise Montcalm to strike a quick blow now while the colonies are shaken over the fall of Oswego?”’ “But she’s half-French,” Rogers reminded him. ‘She sees no more harm in that than you do in fetching news to Fort William Henry tell- ing what we can do to Ticonderoga. But this isn’t getting us on our way.” Ne? AS THERE were no further sounds of (" Dy) the chase and as neither Pomeroy nor CE NS any of his men showed up Rogers took it for granted the pursuit of the Indians had continued out of hearing, and at once decided to make for Fort William Henry and get his novel and daring scouting expedition under way. A six-mile tramp across-country brought them to the fort, which consisted of log ram- parts reinforced with earth, built in the shape of an irregular square and duly bastioned. Not much attempt at leveling the surround- ing forests had been made until General Winslow received the news of Oswego’s fall and the prob- able advance of the French in force. Now that he daily expected to be attacked he kept his men at work, early and late, felling huge areas of giant trees until the ground for a mile be- tween the fort and the mountain-slopes was one immense abatis. Any approach from the east was guarded against by the extensive marsh-lands. The rangers did not enter the fort as smallpox had broken out and the camp was ‘generally sickly. Skirting the defenses, Rogers led the way to the lake where five light whale-boats awaited him. Twoscore rangers were lounging near these, and in response to their command- er’s shrill whistle enough more came up on the run to make the total an even fifty men. These were picked men and obviously had been informed of the part they were-to play; for without waiting for further orders they scram- bled into the boats. Rogers motioned for Put- nam to join him, and as his boat started to lead the way down Lake George he informed the other. “One thing I haven’t told you, and it’s the best notion of the whole plan. boats made unusually light. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to Albany and take part in the fun. “We'll carry the boats across to South Bay and pass Ticonderoga at night right under their noses and they’ll never dream we’re anywhere near them. When we strike on Champlain they’ll think we dropped from the sky.” The boats were rowed ten miles down the lake without any sign of an enemy scout being discovered. Landing on the east shore behind Long Island, the men were ordered to follow behind Rogers and Putnam, each ten carrying one of the boats. The course pursued by Rogers led through a gorge in the mountains and entered Dieskau’s COMMICOOOKS I had these. (E@)