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Show 208 Til£ LTLY liND TITE TOTEM. tightly with gunpowder, and a fuse introduced nt the orifice which received the powder. Strip.q from the sldrts of his people were employed to bind tl1c portion of the reed thus filled, r~nd two of these shafts were la.<;],cd tightly to each matchloc.k, the charged portion protruding ncar tlJC muzzle. li e needed no words to explain l1ia policy to his people. 1'1H'Y understood the object in bcholdi::g the procc~, :md ndmircd the ingenuity which promised them hereafter the most signal advantages. Uigid was the watch maintained that nigbt in the camp of our Frenchmen. Fortunately, they had obtained that day a fresh supply of food while passing tl1rough a. miserable hamlet, from which the occupants lmd fled at their approach. Their supper was eaten in si lence and anxiety. 1.'he watches throughout tlJC night were two, Lc GenrC taking tlJC first, while D'Erlach, from twelve titl daylight, maintained the last. There were no alnrms. The Indians lmd retired, ns was conjectured, to pbce themselves in some favorite place of ambush against the coming of the Frenchmen the next dtty. One of the two men wl10 had been most severely wounded among the Frenchmen, died that night in great agony. The arrow of the s..·wagc lmd penetrated to llis lungs. Tic had imprudently thrown off his coat of escnupil, in consequence of tl10 great lJCat of the noonday, and a skirmish took place before he could reclotlw himself, in \vhich he received his hurt. D'Erla.eh had the body ltlid in the deC'pest portion of the b11y, its only COloring being a forest of canes, which were cut down nud thrown over the corpse. With the first rosy blush of the dawn, tlJO little troop was in motion. 1\ t setting off D'Erlaeh gave ample directions for the anticipated conflict. His command was divided into three companics. From the first of these, three men were commissioned THE ADVENTURP. OF D 'ERLACI1. 209 to deliver the lire of their pieces on the appearance of tho Indians. The rest were to discharge one of the two loaded sections of cane attached to the matchlocks. The second and third were to do likewise. The effect of this arrangement would be to leave ten out of nineteen pieces undischarged, and ready for fatal use on the more daring approach of the .-.avagcs. Their preparations, and the proposed rrue were soon put to proof. It was about nine o'clock in the moruing, wllcn the company was a1out to enter a defile which led to an exte nsive trnct of pines. At t.he entrance, on each hand, stretched a morass that seemed interminable. The opening to the pine forest seemed a narrow gorge, the jaws of which were densely occupied with a tangled thicket that seemed to bafllo approach. D'Erlach saw the dangers which awaited him in such a defile. His three bands were made to march separately as they approached it, and very slowly. A moderate interval lay between them, which would enable them, while an enemy could only attack them si ngly, in turn to support each other. The judgment of our young lieutenant did not deceive him. On each side of this gorge, Oolcnoc had posted his warriors. They occupied the shelter of the thicket on both hands. Their eagerness and impatience, increased by the slow progress of the Frenchmen, whom they regarded as only marching to the slo.ughtcr, lost them some of the advantages of this position. They showed themselves too soon. With a horrid howl the young warriors discharged their arrows ft·om the covert, nnd then boldly dll.Shcd out among the pines. The F'ronohmen were nerved for tho struggle. Forewarned, they bad b~en forearmed. There ,vas no surprise. Coolly, the tllroo select men dolivered the fire of their pieces, and each with fata.l effect. Jn tho same momcut the charged barrels of the cane wore ignited and |
