He listened in evident amazement to the story of their morning's journey, for he well knew the dangers of the wilderness trail.

"I will go with you to within sight of your homes," insisted their new friend, "and I shall not forget to tell Colonel Allen of your courage."

"Will he come soon and take the fort?" asked Faith.

"More quickly for your help than without it, little maid. But go not so far from home again," Mr. Warner answered, with a kindly smile.

It was sunset, and Mr. Carew was starting to bring Faith home from her visit to Esther, when he saw his little daughter coming down the path.

She walked so slowly that her father hastened to meet her.

"I'm so tired, father," she said. "Couldn't you carry me home?"

"Of course I can," and he lifted her in his arms and, anxious and worried by her pale face and evident fatigue, hurried toward the house.

CHAPTER XX

THE CAPTURE OF THE FORT

It was noon the next day when Faith awoke; and although she was quite ready to dress and go down-stairs, her mother thought it best for her to stay in bed.

Faith wondered to herself if Esther's feet ached as hers did; and, more than this, she was anxious to know if their parents had any idea of where she and Esther had spent the previous day.

"There will be so much for me to tell mother," she thought, a little uneasily, hoping that soon she would again have no secrets to conceal.

When Faith came down-stairs she found Esther waiting to see her; and, in response to Faith's questioning look, she nodded and smiled rea.s.suringly. Esther had brought over her English grammar, for it had been decided that the two little girls were to study together two hours each day; one day at Faith's house, and the next at Esther's.

"It's all right; our mothers don't know. But what made you so tired?"

said Esther, as soon as the girls were alone.

Faith shook her head. "I don't know. I do hope we can tell all about it soon. I've a great mind to tell mother now."

"You mustn't. Don't you remember? Mr. Warner said that soon he would tell our fathers, and they would be proud of us. But if we tell them now they won't be proud; they will be vexed, and maybe punish us. Wait until Colonel Allen tells them that you helped him. Then 'twill be all right," advised Esther, and Faith agreed, a little doubtfully.

It was difficult for the two little girls to fix their minds on their lessons that day, and for many days to come. They both watched the trail, each day expecting to see some messenger who would bring news that Colonel Allen was in possession of Fort Ticonderoga; but April pa.s.sed, and Esther declared that she did not believe the Americans wanted the fort.

"I am going to tell my mother everything. All about our going to Lake Dunmore, and my letter, and something else," declared Faith.

It was one day early in May, and she and Esther were coming up from Beaver meadow, where they had been watching the little creatures, who Were very active and did not seem to fear the two little figures at the edge of the woods. The beavers were building a dam; they had dragged trees to the side of the stream, and it seemed a very wonderful thing to Esther when she saw the beavers sink one end of these stakes, while others raised and fastened the other end, twisting in the small branches of the trees, and plastering mud over all with their feet and tails. She was thinking to herself that there were more strange things to see in the Wilderness in one day than in a whole year in a village, when she felt Faith seize her arm and say laughingly:

"You haven't heard a word. Now, listen! I am going to tell my mother."

The little girls were now in sight of the clearing, and, before Esther could answer, Faith stopped suddenly and exclaimed:

"Look, Esther! There's a man just leaving the mill, and running up the trail as fast as he can go. A stranger."

Quite forgetting beavers and secrets the two little girls ran toward the house. "There's my father," said Esther as they reached the door.

Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge were both in the kitchen of the Carew house, and none of the elder people appeared to notice the two girls.

Mr. Carew was loading his musket, and Faith's mother was packing a knapsack with provisions.

"Here are the children," said Mrs. Eldridge, as she turned toward the door; and then Esther saw that her father was waiting for Mr. Carew.

"Faithie dear, your father is going to Castleton," said Mrs. Carew, fastening the knapsack, and in a moment Faith was held close in her father's arms, and then the two men were off, striding down the trail.

"Are they going to take Ticonderoga?" Faith questioned eagerly.

The two women looked at her in surprise, but Mrs. Carew answered quickly:

"Of course they are. Americans are guarding the trail, so we are safe enough at present. But neither of you girls must go beyond the clearing."

"When shall we know about the fort, mother? When will we know?" asked Faith.

"Soon, I hope, child. But talk not of it now," responded her mother.

But after a little Mrs. Eldridge told them that a messenger had come from Bennington, summoning the settlers to Castleton to meet Colonel Allen. Faith and Esther listened to the story of the far-off battle of Lexington, in Ma.s.sachusetts, the news of which had determined the Green Mountain Boys to make an immediate attack on the fort. These men were the settlers of the New Hampshire Grants, living long distances apart, and obliged to travel over rough trails, through deep forests, across rivers and mountains.

There were no smooth roads or fleet horses to help them on their way; there was little time for preparation when Allen's summons came; they had no uniforms, no strains of music; but no truer soldiers ever faced danger than the Green Mountain Boys.

That night Faith told her mother the story of her adventure in the fort, when Nathan had rescued her and taken her down the cliff. She told of the evening in March when she had guided Mr. Phelps along the moonlit sh.o.r.e of the lake and told him of the entrance to the fort; and last of all she described her journey with Esther over the trail to Lake Dunmore, and the letter to Ethan Allen which she had given to Seth Warner.

Mrs. Carew listened in amazement; but she had no word of blame for Faith. She realized the dangers the child had so unknowingly faced with a sense that her little girl had been guarded by a protection greater than any by which she could have surrounded her; and she wondered, too, if it were not possible that Faith might not really have helped in the great undertaking for which her father was ready to give all that he had to give.

"Mother dear, I despise secrets," Faith whispered, as she finished the story, "and I mean never to have another one."

Three days later Mr. Carew came swinging across the clearing. He waved his cap in the air as Faith came running to meet him.

"Ticonderoga is ours," he called, "and the English prisoners are on their way to Hartford. And so it was you, little maid, who helped Phelps to a plan of the fort, and told Ethan Allen of young Beaman!"

"Did it help, father? Did it help?" Faith asked eagerly.

"Help? Indeed it did. Young Beaman led the way to the fort, and we were in without firing a shot. And Colonel Allen and his men hold the fort," replied Mr. Carew.

He could stay for but a few hours, as he was carrying the news to the settlements. It was several days before he was at home again, and told them more fully of Allen's triumph, and of the capture of Crown Point by Seth Warner and his followers.

Toward the last of May Aunt Prissy, accompanied by Nathan Beaman, arrived at the log cabin, and Faith heard the story of Louise's arrival at Ticonderoga.

"Her father has been taken a prisoner to Hartford, and Louise will stay with me," Aunt Prissy said. "I will adopt her for my own daughter if her father consents."

"I do hope he will," said Faith, glad indeed to know that her friend was safe.

"And so my little Faith did help take the fort after all, thanks to Nathan," said Aunt Prissy, smiling down at her little niece.

"'Twas Faith who really helped, for she told Colonel Allen about me,"