News arrived that he intended an attack upon a chateau called Chatillard farther up the river but within the English lines.

A band of the New England rangers, led by Willet, was sent to drive him off, and to destroy the Ojibway pest, if possible.

Robert, Tayoga and Zeb Crane went with him.
They arrived at the chateau just before twilight.

It was a solid stone building overlooking the St.Lawrence, and the lands about it had a narrow frontage on the river, but it ran back miles after the old French custom in making such grants, in order that every estate might have a river landing.

Willet's troops numbered about forty men, and, respecting the aged M.de Chatillard, who was quite ill and in bed, they did not for the present go into the house, eating their own supper on the long, narrow lawn, which was thick with dwarfed and clipped pines and other shrubbery.
But they lighted no fires, and they kept very quiet, since they wished for Tandakora to walk into an ambush.