It was a long, difficult task to carry the wounded lad back through the thicket; but we succeeded after a time, and surely it seemed as if God was with us, for we came out at the big tree without making a turn, which was more than I would have believed possible even in the daytime, when we might see the landmarks. “We’ll hope you find more of the company on this side the river, though not in such sore straits,” Master Bartlett said, when aroused from his slumber as we entered the cave. “The women and I will look after his hurts, so you need not linger here.” “This shall be left, so you may not lack for food,” and Giles thrust the musket and horns into the old man’s hands, after which we hurried away lest he should insist that we take the weapon for our better protection. There was a song of thanksgiving in my heart when we set our faces once more in the direction of where we believed the river could be found, and there was good reason for rejoicing, because, except for our troubles, Sam Rogers would have suffered a lingering death alone in the thicket. “It’s a good omen,” Daniel Hinchman said, in a tone of satisfaction. “We shall succeed in what we are undertaking, and mayhap yet be able to give aid to those who are in sore need.” Heartened by the knowledge that we had, perhaps, been the means of saving a comrade’s life, we pushed on with more confidence, and it could not have been much past midnight when we arrived on the bank of the river, having neither seen nor heard anything betokening danger during the blind march. “Because of having no muskets, we shall not be hampered in the swimming,” Giles March said, as we stood at the edge of the water to regain breath before breasting the current, and no better evidence was needed that he had gotten back his courage than that he could find cause for rejoicing when we would be defenceless on arriving at the opposite bank. There is little need to say that we listened to make sure there were no boats between us and our goal before wading down into the water, and then all our wits and strength were needed to take us across against the strong current. With one to aid the other, the passage was made after such exertion as left us unable to do more than crawl out of the water, and then it was necessary to lie at full-length on the bank a good half-hour before being able to set off in search of Forty Fort. It was daylight before we were come to the end of our journey, and then our hearts were made glad indeed, for at the stockade we found six of our company safe and sound, they having been able to avoid the Tories who were in search of victims; but, alas, Elias Shendle was not among them. Here, also, was Master Morley, and his joy can be imagined when we told him that his wife and two children were yet alive, comparatively safe.