Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (Vol 1 1904).djvu/259

1758] and, in the mean time the messengers to the Indians should do their utmost to draw the Indians back, and keep them together in conferences, till he, the general, had made a conquest of the French, and afterwards he should fall upon all Indians, and destroy them. And, that, if we should lose our lives, the English would carry on the war, so long as an Indian, or Frenchman was alive. Thereupon the French said to the Indians;

"Now you can see, my children, how the English want to deceive you, and if it would not offend you, I would go and knock these messengers on the head, before you should be deceived by them." One of the Indian captains spoke to the French and said, "To be sure it would offend us, if you should offer to knock them on the head. If you have a mind to go to war, go to the English army, and knock them on the head, and not these three men, that come with a message to us."

After this speech the Indians went all off, and left the French. Nevertheless it had enraged some of the young people, and made them suspicious; so that it was a precarious time for us. I said, "Brethren, have good courage, and be strong; let not every wind disturb your mind; let the French bring the letter here; for, as you cannot read, they may tell you thousands of false stories. We will read the letter to you. As Isaac Still can read, he will tell you the truth.

After this all the young men were gathered together, Isaac Still being in company. The young men said, "One that had but half an eye could see that the English only intended to cheat them; and that it was best to knock every one of us messengers on the head." ————