Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (Vol 1 1904).djvu/262

256 my children, to hasten with all the young men; we will drive the English and des­troy them. I, as a father, will tell you always what is best." He laid the string before one of the captains. After a little conversation, the captain stood up and said; "I have just heard something of our brethren the English, which pleaseth me much better. I will not go. Give it to the others, may be they will go." The messenger took up again the string and said, "He won't go, he has heard of the English." Then all cried out, "yes, yes, we have heard from the English." He then threw the string to the other fire place, where the other captains were; but they kicked it from one to another, as if it was a snake. Captain Peter took a stick, and with it flung the string from one end of the room to the other, and said, "Give it to the French captain, and let him go with his young men; he boasted much of his fighting; now let us see his fighting. We have often ventured our lives for him; and had hardly a loaf of bread, when we came to him; and now he thinks we should jump to serve him." Then we saw the French captain mortified to the uttermost; he looked as pale as death. The Indians discoursed and joked till midnight; and the French captain sent messengers at midnight to fort Duquesne.

21st.—We were informed that the general was within twenty miles of fort Duquesne. As the Indians were afraid the English would come over the river Ohio, I spoke with some of the captains, and told them that, "I supposed the general intended to surround the French, —————