Hugh Pendexter

“ I see John Dilly is among them. Good! Swing your packs down to the whale-boat, men. You're to head for North West Bay and stay there till I join you. I shall go ahead in a canoe. John Dilly, you speak French?”
“Good as English, sir. I lived ten years at Montreal when a younker. No New Hampshire man knows their lingo better.”
And he spat to clean his mouth after the confession.
“Then you shall go with me in the canoe.”
Exchanging a few words with Rogers, Putnam selected a birch and directed Dilly to put their blankets and rations into it. ”

“ With a few strokes he was back at the beach and had secured his gun. Reembarking, he paddled swiftly round the southern point and to his hidden canoe.
“Loudoun takes his men to Louisbourg!” rang through his ears as he hastily searched the dead man. Inside the hunting-shirt he found a folded piece of birch-bark and within this was a piece of paper and make slow progress, feeling their way round the island. He believed he would have ample warning of their approach. He must identify the dead man beyond any doubt, and he must know the contents of the paper. ”

“ With that he glided behind the jutting wall, and as. the boat followed the rangers found themselves in a tiny cove. Leaving the boat, the men stole after Putnam up a slope, where he brought them to a halt and motioned for them to peer through the bushes.
They beheld five blanketed forms stretched in a row. Beside one of the sleepers was the black three-cornered hat of an officer. A shoulder and arm of the sleeper revealed the white coat and black facings of the troupes de la marine, or the French colonial regulars.
“We must capture the officer alive for Winslow,” whispered Putnam. ”

“ Keep to the boat unless hard pressed. If you go ashore abandon the wounded man but take this other fellow with you. If he doesn't keep up, kill him.”
“M'sieur, I shall exceedin'ly keep up,” assured the officer solemly with a deep bow to Putnam.
“What about meeting you, cap'n?” anxiously asked a ranger.
“Come back here with a couple of boats and a dozen' men. Wait for me 'two days. If I don't show up within that time report me as missing. Now you're off; and be careful in passing Long and Sloop Islands.”
Silently the boat moved away with the rangers and their prisoners. ”

“ He helped Pean escape.
“Here is a paper. Randall will take this extra canoe and will hustle it down to Major Rogers. If Rogers ain't there give it to General Winslow.
“Say I took it from Dilly's body as he was trying to deliver it to the enemy. I suggest he sends a strong force in bateaux and canoes, armed with several wall-pieces, to capture those fellows back of Sloop.
“The rest of you work your boat along near shore and make North West Bay if you can. If you're chased hide the boat and take to the woods. Unless pressed too hard stay hidden near shore so you can take the boat to the bay. ”

“ Every one knows Rogers' men don't mind a fuss.”
WITH that they parted and Putnam turned his canoe back toward the north end of Sloop Island. While his major purpose was to find Pean and capture or kill him, and although he no longer believed that Pean could be tarrying back of the island, he could not resist the temptation to spy a bit further upon this band of the enemy. So long as he did not run into an ambush he did not consider himself to be in much danger. ”

“ But if you have to do that, take more boats and come right back to meet me. I may have a prisoner.”
“You'll find us there, or else some of Montcalm's barbers will be dancing our hair,” was the grim assurance.
“Don't run foolish risks just to prove you're brave. ”