The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-26

lie ragged along the road like fury drove
back his men by the sword, and seemed
determined to overcome by mere force of
drill and obstinacy. Indeed, it is uncer-
/ tain whether he now could have executed
the manGuvre. No soldiers-not even
/ Cumberland's veterans-could long with
| stand deadly and concentrated fire from
I front and both tlanks.
| The fact that the fatal flashes and pufs
of smoke and voleys seemed to come right
out of the ground and from unseen foes,
while the whole air and woods around rang
full of savage yells and horrible screech-
ings, completed the decentralization. Many
afterwards declared that during the whole
three hours contest they had never once
seen foe ; while others would not assert
that they haG seen over half dozen. l.
is only a wonder that soldiers SO wretch
edly posted and so badly commanded could
stand it as long as they did.
The provincials suffered as much as the
British soldiers. Whenever and wherever
they could they took to the trees. 1t is
even asserted, and we think it probable,
that some of the officers who, by Brad
docks explicit command, attempted to
| beat back into the road the men who had
| thus sought shelter behind trees, were shot
| by their own men.
In one of the pauses of this one-sided
conflict, Washington, who had been kept
! busy carrying the Generals orders-the
other aides, Orme and Morris, having been
wounded-saw Colonel Halllet, grim and
weary-lool1ing, standing dismounted under
a huge oak, and leaning heavily against
its massive trunk. fastening up and out
little from the fire, he auxiously in
quired:
81 trust, Sir Peter, you are not very
badly hurt ?''
'.Na, ma, Georlie, but Ise gotten eneuch.
IT'S joost aboon my baldric. Wha cud
luke to go thro' siccan an awsome day
wi'out scar or scaith l haze fear Ise
Ia 'en strong grippit o death. l am sair
sair forfoughten, but ne'er fear, mon, but
wha the auld Sir Peter will e'er present a
heckle to his foes
''Oh, tits not so bad as that, Colonel -
said Washington ''but you, like the res;
of us, have received your baptism of fire
'Tis CORY field, and the ends not yeti
Dye nina, Major, the 'secon-sight'
tauld ye of yestreen, and the vision o
bluid? Said l not recht but, haze y,
seen Jamie, laddie?''
Il have, Sir Peter; there lie stands, auc
unhurt."
"'1iS strange, vera strange. lis tht
bairn Francis, and not James, that's hur
and ta'en. to the rear, alang wi Sir join
Sinclair, Colonel Burton, Gladwin, anC
mony ithers. Oh but this is a sorra day
Braddock's joost lost his fourth horse
The fule earle thinks he's fghtin on the
broad plains o Flanders. 'Tis eneucl
amaist to drive one distraught to see hin
try to wheel and manGuvre whan army
shoulther to shoulther, in twal-fut road
1 haze beggit him to let his men take t.
the woods, but the dour deevil wi not
Hes clean daft, GeOrdie, clean daft"
''Wen, Colonel" said Washington, 'n
use to discuss the General now. You nee
immediate attention. I'll send some SO
diers to take you to the rear"
Washington had scarcely gone hun
F dred PAGES before a bullet, sped by an In
dian rifle from the ravine, struck Halke
straight through tho heart. Just as In
was falling his son James rushed FORWARD
and caught him in his arms. He, too wa
at the same instant mOrtalIy struck. ant
both fell together, locked in each other
embrace, and this was the last of the olC
Scotch noblcman.
The two bodies lay, just where they fell
for years, through summers heat and win
ter's snow mid all the wreck of til
spiteful elements We will hereafter re
late how, three years after, two skeleton
were found locked together, and i'll hoy
singular manner the young Sir Pete
Hallzet identified them as those of hi
father and brother.
The Provincials-thc American militia
of whom Braddock was cOntemptuou
were among the last to yield the hill
Among them were Jack, Gist, Waggoner
Scarooyaddy, and others of the more COO
and collected scouts and rangers, who had
.. wherever they could obtain a ''coign o
vantage kept up desultory fire upoI
the foe.
About this time Jack, his face all be
grimcd with powder, his bullets almos
all spent, his eyes glowering and teetl
clenched in a sort of bulldog fixedness
was sullenly retiring from tree to tret
hotly pushed by some Ottawa Indians
when he noted the approach of our old &c
quaintance, Captain Waggoner, of thu
Virginia Rangers, with what was left o
his men. They were doggedly retreatins
step by step, casting many an anxious lool
behind.
"Waggoner," exclaimed Jack, "'tis ;
crying shame that we should stay here anC
be butchered for the mad whitns of a MAJ
who may be as brave as julius Caesar, bu
who's alsc as crazy as a loon. Now, ",
been studying the lay of these lurking ret
devils, and from the line of their fire fee
certain their whole position can be turned