They stole beneath the walls upon the frozen lake.

They carried off cattle, and made banquets off their carcasses.

If they could not do with all the meat themselves, they would leave the carcasses at the foot of the walls, sometimes with mocking letters attached to the horns.
Thus, after a more than usually successful raid, when they had taken two prisoners and driven off a number of head of cattle, they tied to the horns of one of the slain beasts the following words, written large for all to read.
"I am obliged to you, sir, for the rest you have allowed me to take, and for the fresh meat you have supplied me with.

I shall take good care of my prisoners.

My compliments to the Marquis de Montcalm.
"-- (Signed) "ROGERS." But in spite of these successful raids, a misfortune was in store for the gallant Rangers in the early spring which broke up and scattered their band for that season, and spread throughout the district the false report of Rogers' death.
Captain Hebecourt was commanding the French at Ticonderoga, and in March he received large reinforcements of Canadians and Indians, and the latter instantly detected recent marks of snowshoes in the vicinity betraying the neighbourhood of white men.