Cap Huff rubbed his eyes with sausage-like forefingers. “Then Sullivan’s a liar! I kind of figured he was a liar! He wrote Arnold last night there was King’s troops between him and Three Rivers, ready to attack, and for Arnold to send down all his spare men and be damned quick about it. Arnold figured he was a liar, too, on account of not having heard from you. He said if there’d been troops, you’d have reported ’em.”

The blood seemed to leave my heart, and I held my breath; but from the look of blank surprise on Nathaniel’s face I knew my fears were groundless.

“I just came here from Three Rivers,” Nathaniel said. “There weren’t any troops on the road; not any.”

Cap stared at him, shot a quick glance at me; then went to staring at him again. “Well, that’s interesting! You don’t suppose it would interest Arnold, do you? Or do you have to tell everything to your brother first?”

“Aren’t you a little free with your tongue?” I asked. “This boy was told he’d find Arnold here. He was just starting for Montreal when you came in sight.”

Cap grunted, “By God, he’d better! I’ve had about all I can stand for one day! Here, come along and show me a place to store these bundles. Your brother can take this cart back to Montreal, and carry word to Arnold that’ll make him bite somebody.”

I led him to the shipyard, where Tom Bickford had rigged a shelter, for although the marked timbers were safely on their way to Crown Point, the yard had come to seem like home to us. On the way Cap cursed so passionately that his voice cracked and became shrill. “You wouldn’t believe it!” he told us. “You wouldn’t believe any man could be so rotten as that Hazen!”