The French and Indian army began its march early the next morning, and Robert found himself with about a dozen other prisoners, settlers who had been swept up in its advance.

They had been surprised in their cabins, or their fields, newly cleared, and could tell him nothing, but he noticed that the march was west.
He believed they were not far from Lake Ontario, and he had no doubt that Montcalm had prepared some fell stroke.

His mind settled at last upon Oswego, where the Anglo-American forces had a post supposed to be strong, and he was smitten with a fierce and commanding desire to escape and take a warning.

But he was compelled to eat his heart out without result.

With French and Indians all about him he had not the remotest chance and, helpless, he was compelled to watch the Marquis de Montcalm march to what he felt was going to be a French triumph.
Swarms of Indian scouts and skirmishers preceded the army and Canadian axmen cut a way for the artillery, but to Robert's great amazement these operations lasted only a short time.