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Show THE MEN WHO FOUGHT ON SKATES THEY fought on water but they 3 were not sailors. For the water M was the frozen surface of Lake George In New York and they were "Rogers' 1 Rangers," commanded by Maj. Robert Rogers, one of the most successful ', colonial leaders who ever fought under the British flag against the French. In January, 1757, Rogers was detailed de-tailed to the special task of harassing the enemy around Ticonderoga and Crown Point The Ranger leader equipped his men with skates upon which they sped over the Ice on Innumerable, In-numerable, daring raids under the very guns of the forts. They burned houses and barns, they slaughtered cattle and they captured sledge-loads of provisions intended for the garrisons. garri-sons. One day near Ticonderoga Rogers discovered a sledge moving across Lake George and sent his lieutenant, John Stark the Stark of Bennington fame later to intercept it. A moment later ten more sledges appeared but, discovering Stark's approach, their drivers immediately put about to flee. In an instant Rogers' men had clapped on their skates and started in pursuit. Stark had already overtaken tha rear sled but it soon became evident that the bigger prize was about to escape. One after another the sledges crossed the line of safety until all except two had swept past. Just as they were about to reach the goal. Rogers, who was a little In advance of his men, unslung his gun. Never slackening for an Instant his terrific speed, he threw the weapon to his shoulder and flred. One of the horses crashed to the Ice but it was carried along by its momentum mo-mentum for a hundred feet before Its mate became entangled in the harness har-ness and fell. In a moment the Rangers had surrounded the driver and made him prisoner. The last sledge also fell an easy victim. The race between horse and man had been won by man. Knowing that the drivers who had escaped would arouse a pursuing party, Rogers immediately ordered a retreat. Within a few hours the French and Indians were swarming all around them. After an all-day fight in which many of the Rangers were killed and Rogers himself severely se-verely wounded, they finally heat off their attackers and, In a retreat filled with hardship and danger, managed to make their way back to Fort William Henry. |