midday
He knew that the provinces had been roused at last out of their lethargy , and had pledged themselves to some active effort to check French aggression ; yet weeks were slipping by , one after the other , and no help of any consequence came to the army on the outskirts . No command reached the eager soldiers for a blow to be struck there , as had been confidently expected . Perhaps the French might be better informed as to what was going on in other parts of the great continent , and so prisoners were wanted more urgently than ever . At midday upon a steamy midsummer day , one of the young Rangers who had been wandering about near to the camp in search of game came back with cautious haste to report that he had seen a small party of French leaving the fort by the water gate , cross the narrow waterway , and plunge into the forest . He had observed the direction taken , and thought they could easily surround and cut them off . He did not think there were more than six in the party ; probably they were out hunting , unconscious of the proximity of any foe . Stark was on his feet in a second .