Away with the forebodings of Willet! Here was the might of England and the colonies, and, brave and cunning as St.Luc and Beaujeu and the other Frenchmen might be their bravery and cunning would avail them nothing.
They marched on all the morning, a long and brilliant line of red and blue and brown, and nothing happened.

The forest on either side of them was still silent and tenantless, and they expected in a few more hours to see the fort they had come so far to take.

The heavens themselves were propitious.

Only little white clouds were to be seen in the sky of dazzling blue, and the green forest, stirred by a gentle wind, waved its boughs at them in friendly fashion.
About noon they approached the river, and Gage leading a strong advance guard across it, found no enemy on the other side, puzzling and also pleasing news.

The foe, whom they had expected to find in this formidable position, seemed to have melted away.