Show he R W aft d R oisa A romance of braddicks braddocks Bradl Brad dels docks defeat CHAPTER IX continued 25 26 of one thing I 1 was positive and I 1 bold to that opinion today general braddock was convinced that whatever be woo won must be achieved by his personal efforts I 1 did talk with mr air shirley the commanders secretary who said be would make a verbal report repart of what I 1 had learned while in duquesne quesne whether he ever did bob submit mit the information I 1 brought I 1 cannot pay eay but I 1 believe that he be did because of his bis tear fear that the campaign was being mismanaged I 1 can easily imagine craddock braddock listening to to my Y important information and giving it only a passing consideration or else ignoring it entirely that night the army tamped camped at rush creek where schou ady adv once had a village we were now within three easy marches of 0 duquesne even though the army moved sluggishly and I 1 coull could dot perceive any reason why we should not lot attain our objective after all I 1 told gist and cromet sickness and death was ever the price paid when a large body of men more or less strangers to their environment pass through a virgin country I 1 took it for granted that on every level battlefield of eo ED rope sickness stalked every army crofit had bad not much to say because of the bias furnished by bis big dream gist spoke guardedly and that while some phases of the campaign were not to his bis liking still we ought to take the fort now we were committed to the turtle creek course while we were talking sir john st clair and several off officers leers come came along and st claar called out to us you yon men must know this country you ion will come along with us to reconnoiter conno con iter we tell fell to in behind them and were soon descending the steep bank that la Is a characteristic of nf the count rys streams nor was the opposite bank any more inviting st SL clair studied the bank thoughtfully tor for a minute and thet thel said to life hl officers this Is very bad the army bas bai lost heart because vt of rough travel if the country beyond Is as bad as this it will about finish any spirit left it will be impossible to take the artillery and wagons any farther than this bank sir john unless we spend much time preparing both books banks sald said one of the engineers that Is very plain muttered st clair and the devil of it if you can get your guns soil and wagons ac across roses I 1 can soon take you to a ridge that leads to duquesne spoke up gist once you yoo are on the ridge you wont have much trouble and find the country open and not fitted for ambuscades ambus cades eades or surprise attacks As he be was serving as guide to general era braddock and was well known in colonial affairs his big words were listened to st clair suggested be try to find a more favorable crossing lie he told them there was not much choice as the banks continued much the sume same but be did lead them to where here the sp ap to the creek was less difficult and pointed out a thinly timbered ele as being the ridge the chief engineering problem was to cross the creek and ascend the op bank one young lieutenant said if he be could have the use of a hundred soldiers he be could ease the wagons and guns down one slope and baul them up the other by means ol of the long cables carried by the army another who had charge of the ax as men guaranteed readily to make run ways of logs and thereby greatly expedite the passage of the guns and wagon train gist called on me to repeat repeal what I 1 already had bad told mr air shirley I 1 plated s it if the army would cross the creek and strike straight tor for duquesne it could w not cot be attacked ith any legree degree of 0 t success even it if the indians could be e induced to attack at all I 1 quoted ii j captain to that effect effert As they did dot cut me short abort I 1 added for good measure that there would be great danger at both cios crossings sIngs of the monongahela and that it would be practically impossible to avoid no an lims ams bus eade that beauleu beaujeu already had planned to plant an ambus b along the river road sir john seemed to be strongly fin am f pressed by my statements much mure more ai so than be would have buea been had I 1 made a similar talk at alexandria or y wills creek when we returned to the camp we fully believed the mort rows march would remove us arout all f tear fear of a masked attack the cou vers atlon among all pointed to tills this wise maneuver and our spirits 3 greatly improved n after sir john had bad tailed wiio braddock Brad doek girt was sent for crofit it und and I 1 lefi left round paw holding a pw pow wow with the few Dela delawarek wares while we ju went to find the dinwood girl J wagoner morgan was one ot of tile the first teamsters to arrive despite the sad condition of nf his horses lie la in formed us that flint our little friend was charing a keltie with two sold soldiers lers wives we soon located her she hod her sex known to the women hui but detill wore tier her masculine gaila which was very sensible of her I 1 took tier her aside for a little talk and ur at ance im r ob nil tved slie she was in a solier mood 11 lu cut bite to lie be more downcast than when tie ic fighting fur for our alf in fit flip I 1 elif leav arod go 0 ahn i tier tit anu point iio imd d out by hugh by irwin myers ayera va by herb poindexter sarala how bow thankful we should be for our deliverance from roni pontiacs Pont Ponti laca acs savages that was the trying frying pan she sighed 1 I 1 tell you I 1 teel fee had bad luck mister jump on 00 us when w lien we pass through the thick woods them soldiers dont know any more about than as it if they was so many cows you say such things take the heart out of the men it if they hear you 1 I 1 aint a tool fool even it if I 1 come from run n u family of vo bitches Itches she angrily re ported im talking to yuu you not to the sold icis then with instant re 1 I 1 go tor for to speak to you like tills this mister but these women here are scared and yet all they talk about Is the rills ellks and tine one clothes have ill ae when we march into duquesne come and talk talk again with me to mister youve done so much for or me ill talk with you ive done nuth noth ing youre hitching the cart ahead of tile the horse borse if not for you I 1 never could liae haie left the duquesne stockade 1 I tell you it was the injun who done all that after you had told him of my dun her get anti and had planned for us to scale the nater gate gale and tin you waiting with a canoe ill see you tomorrow and the next day and on the third day ill see that you get some of the one boe cloth if the french dont burn everything before leaving the fort 1 I feel bud bad luck but ill hope tor for the best she muttered and dont go into danger mister the last was so incongruous after what we had bad been through together and in view ot of the part I 1 must play on an scout that I 1 laughed and even she smiled albeit a bit wistfully she gave me tier her small hand and eyed me with strange steadiness then disconcerted we me by gravely saying there aint no shroud around you yet im thinking live through it crofit came up it in time to hoar hear the last and anxiously inquired what about nie me inelss y ills mouth was smiling finding but his ebes ees were ere uneasy she hesitated then told him film anyone you come to grips with will die With this she abruptly left us and busted herself lier sulf at the lire fire we went to where the brugers frn gers were wen camping and looked for colonel washington hut but he had bad not yet reported to ro braddock raddock li I 1 did meet captain bus by however ile he had lost much of his stoutness nes arid and was ws US as lean and hard as a a hound webster brond brand by a all I 1 I 1 quaint I 1 he cried on recognizing me and this time he was eager to clasp toy my hand ive looked for you all 11 along this cursed march and through all the cursed days weve crawled cra viled und and fiddled away the time lord I 1 but im glad the alexandria folks cant see what a rough looking lot we are where have you been and what do you think well do nest I 1 explained and he declared my du quesne trip displayed damned rare sportsmanship I 1 told him film the worl of the campaign was over and that we would be tree free from indian attacks after we had crossed the creek and taken to the ridge A fight would be welcome he be testily replied its this d d crowling crawling along like a worm on a leaf that takes the gimp out of the men if stayed with iab us from the time we quit wills creek understand how trifles can eat tile the heart out ot of a man wood ticks deks annoy more people than tigers do really ll eally we officers ot of the virginians have given up our lug gage animals until we scarcely have anything left except what we have on I 1 hope therell lie be some clean linen HI at duquet duquesne erne ne I 1 if there ill never dever forgive foi give tile the french I 1 suppose the folks back home hoine are thinking tonight that were already in duquesne there was no back horne home for me no do alks folks to learn how I 1 kind had fared and I 1 had nothing to say lie ile ran on ive sent word to josephine by every express but probably she chasn I 1 received one out of five of my let I 1 told her I 1 seen you so you dont expect well he be attacked by the red aeils on our way to flie he fort not it if we follow the ridge road yes it if we follow the road then im glad its the ridge re 1 member web how we ofed to play at fighting indians and always planned to run into an all ambuscade and make a very narrow escape lord that seems a million years ago we want any open ridge marching li ita those days nothing but bloody fighting in the shrubbery at the foot of the carlyle gardens and how we used to rescue fair maidens mal denal I 1 elow joe would squeal slie she was flint nervous and how cool and collected the haze girls girle always were I 1 joe was more tun fun she felt her part more web our hearts were higher then than now time has made cowards of us of me ine anyway and who would have believed that we would be here together like this on the shore of the d d creek I 1 thank god oil that joe here to be rescued I 1 amen to that anti aai I 1 wished and wished that the wlter garl was as safe Us as josephine of old alexandria tie lie urged me to chare mess with him bill and several others from the home town hut but I 1 was uneasy and preferred to take a piece of ment meat from the rangers ire fire and to prowl deep in the woods for fresh signs until the darkness ne iss drove me in when the drums bent beat the long march on the morning of the seventh I 1 turned out to assist in n getting the wagons across the creek but what was my amazement to learn that flint the course had bad been changed during the nights council and that st clair had finally decided it ft would be best for the army to swing clear of the rugged country entirely and to march direct for tile the monongahela this would necessitate crossing at a point where the river bends to the north and after marching across the bend to just below the mouth of turtle creek this shift in plans plane was due to the excellent fords and their gently sloping banks there would he be no difficulty in crossing the guns and wagons destiny was taking the donwold girl wad me back to the frazier brazier Pr azier coban I 1 hunted up the onondaga Unon daga and found him freshly painted for war and softly reminding bis big orenda that flint he was a man of the wolf clan after blog his big chanting he cried out to me yo linh hah I 1 they say some very brave men will die before two more sleeps white brother they say it Is not good tor for men to grow old until they find all meat tough the french will die bravely it if they fight I 1 agreed they say the french will not die alone it rill nil be a very strong fl fight ailt there will be no fight unless beau jeu con can drive his big indians into making a surprise attack there will be a tight fight he gravely assured me many blany axes will be covered with new ner point paint blood they voy ray the english from over the stinking water do not know how bow to fight the delawarek Oela Dela wares have told you that thai they talk like old women A wolf howled bowled to in the night to the wolf roan man he be the talk of our nephews the leol lenares goes by rund round paws ears without enter ing let the witch woman change herself into a bird and fly away let my red brother keep that talk shut up in his bag I 1 wart warned led secret ly alarmed by his bis reference to the DID wold girl for should there be a fight with the tort fort indians I 1 feared site she would refuse to hide bide la in a wagon until it was over and it did seem a cruel shame that after escaping from fra cabin she should run the risk of 0 being hideously killed within gun shot of it let lei tier her turn herself into a bird and by buck back to the susquehanna he be called a tier after me ine I 1 hastened on eager to find tie the 1 gl girl rl anti di persuade tier her to stay well weli back mining the ali wagons even it we were ambushed and well blooded she would tie le safe at the rear of the lie line the savages could never break th through roligh even ev n though they bey should punish flip head of the army she greeted me shyly and was strangely willing to do as I 1 asked I 1 BUS surprised and pleased fill her acquiescence for I 1 knew she had but little thought though for her own safety there was however a small condl condi t alon 10 n attached to her promise and sw she expressed it thus thue TO DO CONTINUED |