Perhaps if Isaac had been the only son of his mother he would have found it difficult to gain her permission for such an adventure as Corporal 'Lige had proposed. There were five other boys in the family, and Isaac was neither the oldest nor the youngest. The fact that Mrs. Rice had so many did not cause her to be unmindful of any, but less timorous perhaps, about parting with one. However it may be, the lad gained the desired permission providing his father would assent, and this last was little more than a formality. Master Rice was found among the throng of citizens in front of the inn where recruiting was going on briskly. The opportunity served to give the good man a certain semblance of patriotism when he showed himself willing that one of his sons should go for a soldier, and he would have had the boy sign the rolls then and there, but that Isaac demurred. It was not in his mind to enlist save in the company and after being again assured of the corporal's protection, therefore he insisted on presenting himself as the old man's recruit rather than his father's offering. Corporal 'Lige was well pleased when Isaac returned with a detailed account of all that had taken place, and said approvingly: "You have shown yourself to be a lad of rare discretion, Isaac Rice, and I will take it upon myself to see that such forethought brings due reward. Suppose you had signed the rolls at the inn? What would you be then? Nothin' more than a private." "But that is all I shall be when I sign them with you, corporal." "It may appear that way, I'm free to admit lad; but still you will be a deal higher than any non-commissioned officer, because you'll be under my wing, and when we have taken Ticonderoga, though I ain't admitting that's the proper name of the fort--when we've taken that, I say, you'll be fit for any kind of a commission that you're qualified to hold." "Yes," Isaac replied doubtfully, and then he fell to speculating as to whether even though Corporal 'Lige did not "take him under his wing," he might not be fit to fill any position for which "he was qualified." While he was thus musing a messenger came from Master Phelps saying the recruiting was coming to an end in this town, and the party would set out that same afternoon on their way to Bennington, expecting to enlist volunteers from Colonel Easton's regiment of militia as they passed through the country.