Charles Lennox is dying in the barn of the Chapman farm, of rabies contracted from the bite of an infected fox 60 days before. He has spent 13 months in Canada, and has already seen a great deal more of Upper and Lower Canada than any of his predecessors. His stamina, for one who has never shown much ambition before, is astounding. He wavers in and out of consciousness. He froths at the mouth and begins to behave like an animal. He still has a few lucid moments, in which he reflects upon how he came to be in the bush and wishes to see his children again. He is particularly concerned that his "plans" be forwarded to his good friend the Duke of Wellington, the war hero who defeated Napoleon. The plans are the duke's strategy for the defence of British North America, including a communications network that would eventually be completed after decades of work.