"'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 tall young officer dressed with scrupulousness and very careful of his dignity. "Charteris!"[A] he exclaimed. "Lennox!" They shook hands with the greatest surprise and pleasure. "When I last saw you at Ticonderoga you were a prisoner of the French," said Robert. "And so were you." "But I escaped in a day or two." "I escaped also, though not in a day or two. I was held a prisoner in Quebec all through the winter and spring and much befell me, but at last I escaped to General Wolfe and rejoined my old command, the Royal Americans." "And he took part in the battle of Montmorency, a brave part too," said Colden. "No braver than the others. No more than you yourself, Colden," protested Charteris. "And 'tis said that, though he left Quebec in the night, he left his heart there in the possession of a very lovely lady who speaks French better than she speaks English," said Colden. "'Tis not a subject of which you have definite information," rejoined Charteris, flushing very red and then laughing. But Colden, suspecting that his jest was truth rather, had too much delicacy to pursue the subject. Later in the day Robert returned with Willet and Tayoga and they had a reunion. "When we take Quebec," said Tayoga to Grosvenor, "Red Coat must go back with us into the wilderness and learn to become a great warrior. We can go beyond the Great Lakes and stay two or three years." "I wish I could," laughed Grosvenor, "but that is one of the things I must deny myself. If the war should be finished, I shall have to return to England." "St. Luc is in Quebec," said Willet. "We followed his trail a long distance." "Which means that our task here will be the harder," said Colden.