Take to your blankets and you rest as safely with us as if you were sleeping in your own town of Albany." Willet removed his hand from the handle of his tomahawk, and, rising to his full height, stretched himself and yawned.
"We accept your pledge in the spirit in which it is given, Colonel de Courcelles," he said, "and being worn from a long day and long toil I, for one, shall find sweet slumber here on the leaves with a kindly sky above me." "Then, sir, I bid you a happy good night," said Colonel de Courcelles.
Without further ado the three folded their blankets them and fell asleep on the leaves.
Robert, before closing his eyes, had felt assured that no harm would befall them while they were in the camp of de Courcelles, knowing that the French colonel could not permit any attack in his own camp upon those who bore an important message from the Governor of New York to the Governor General of Canada.

Hence his heart was light as he was wafted away to the land of slumber, and it was light again when he awoke the next morning at the first rays of dawn.
Tayoga and Willet still slept, and he knew that they shared his confidence, else these wary rovers of the woods would have been watching rather than sleeping.

Jumonville also was still rolled in his blankets, but de Courcelles was up, fully dressed, and alert.

Several of the Canadians and Indians were building a fire.

Robert's questing eye sought at once for the Ojibway, but he was gone, and the youth was not surprised.