Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-01-19
WHOLE NO. 641.


the route by which tney had just
entered their present critical and
even dangerous situation.
Hawk-eye soon deviated from the
line of their retreat, and striking off
towards the mountains which form
the western boundary of the narrow
plain, he led his followers, with swift
steps, deep within the shadows that
were cast from their high and broken
submits. When they issued from
the stunted woods which clung to
the barren sides of the mountain,
upon a fiat and mossy rock that form
ed its summit, they met the morning
as it came blushing above the green
vines of a hill that lay on the oppo-
site side of the valley Of the Horican.
The scoutnow told the sisters to
dismount;and taking the brides from
the mouths, and the saddles off the
backs of the jaded beasts, he turned
them loose to CLEAN scanty subsist-
ence among the shrubs and meagre
heritage of that elevated region.
"Go,'' he said, ''and seek your food
where natur' gives it to you; and be-
ware that you become not food to
ravenous wolves yourselves among
these hills
"Have we no further need of them ~
demanded Hayward.
''See, and judge with your own
eyes" said the scout advancing to.
wards the eastern brow of the noun
tain, whittier he beckoned the whole
party to follow; ''if it was as easy
to look into the heart of man as to
spy out the nakedness of Montcalm's
camp from this spot. hypocrites
would grow scarce. and the cunning
of a Mingo might prove losing
game, compared to the honesty of a
Delaware
When the travellers reached the
verge ofthe precipice, they saw at
glance, the truth Of the scouts de-
claration, and the admirable fore
sight with which he had led them to
their commanding station.
The mountain on which they
stood, elevated, perhaps, thousand
feet in the air, was high cone that
rose little in advance of that range
which stretches for miles along the
western shores of the lake, until
meeting its sister piles, beyond the
water, it ran off towards the Canadas,
in confused and broken masses Of
rocks, thinly sprinkled with ever
green.
Directly on the shore of the lake,
and nearer its western margin, lay
the extensive earthern ramparts and
low buildings of William Henry.
But the spectacle which most con-
cerned the young soldier wS on the
western bank of the lake, though
quite near to its southern termination.
On ii stripof land, which appeared,
from his stand, too narrow to contain
such an army, but which, in truth,
extended many hundreds Of yards
from the shores OF the Horican to the
base of the mountain, were to be seen
the white tents and military encamp-
ment of ten thousand men. Batter
les were already thrown up in their
front, and even while the spectators
above them were looking down, with
such different emotions, on scene
which lay like a map beneath their
feet, the roar of artillery rose from the
valley, and PASSED off in laundering
echoes along the eastern hills.
"Morning is just touching them
below" said the deliberate and musing
scout, ''and the watchers have mind
to wake up the sleepers by the sound
of cannon. We are few hours too
late. Montcalm has already filled the
woods with his accursed Iroquois."
"The place is, indeed, invested"
returned Duncan, "but is there no ex-
pedient by which we may enter?
Capture in the works would be far
preferable to falling again into the
hands of rowing Indians
''Sec" exclaimed the scout, un-
consciously directing the attention of
Cora to the quarters of her own father,
how that shot has made the stones
fly from the side of the commandant's
house. Ay . these Frenchers will
put it to pieces faster than it was put
together, solid and thick though it
be-"
"iIeywarl, | sicken at the sight of
i -, ..,.. Al L Il IL.