White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-10-12


Morgan's wagon and went up the line.
The wagon train was alarmed by
rifle-fire In the woods; then Cr0mit ap-
peared, trailing his long rifle. He had
been mistaken for q French scout and
had barely escaped the bullets of some
of our flankers. he was but little
worse for his hasty travel and grinned
broadly on beholding US, and more
broadly when the Onondaga refused to
shake hands with him.
"Allaquippa's Injuns are hiding in
the woods, scared of the French" he
told me. "There's going to be a vast
~ severe wiring before we finish this
business"
"We march by the head OF Turtle
creek. The Indians will refuse to at
tack. The French can do nothing
alone" l Informed him.
"There's going to be a mighty tough
wiring" he insisted. "Pve dreamed
again of the witch-glrl."
"She's back in u of the wagons.
She'll put q spell on the French"
He was much interested in my news
and prophecies, and by his glances
toward the rear | surmised he was
wishing himself back beside the girls
wagon. Yet he maintained that to
dream Of her instead of 't'other one"
meant bad luck. He philosophically
decided 1t was an Ill omer for him
personally and perhaps did not con
cern the general welfare of the army.
We passed a covered wagon in
which Colonel Washington, a very sick
man, was travelling. He had over
before, July fourth. have no doubt
he would have wished to question me,
but l knew he must indeed be i'll when
he could not ride q horse, and thought
1t best not to make my presence
known.
Before we caught up with the staff
we learned that some of our rangers
had fired on several of our Indian
scouts, mistaking them for French In.
dams. and killed Scarouady's son.
%Scarouady. an Oneida chief, was
known among the Delawares as Mon.
actuatha, but had been called the
Half-King by the English since the
death of Half-King Scruniyatha in the
preceding year.
The Staying of his son was q ter.
rible error as 1t might have resulted
in the complete alienation of our few
Indians. But %Scarouady was above
the average Indian in intelligence and
r,O1 oo lpx1f1l 20 th1 1o1@rso1 -- H.
was hostile to the French.
They had buried the youth with
suitable ceremonies the day before we
reached the army and had covered his
bones with the gift of an elaborate
red coat to the bereaved father. Yet
the tragedy had a lasting effect on the
Indians. Round Paw told me that the
Delaware scouts were asking one an.
other:
eff the English shoot us what won't
the French dor"
A shadow seemed to hang over the
entire length of the slowly moving
army The militia were %outspoken in
their pessimism because they we're NOT
turned loose to fight in the only way
they had been accustomed. The reg
ulars were facing their task with grim
visages, wondering what chance they
could have in this strange wild land
when the woodsmen were so down
cast.
We reached the staff just as a halt
vas made for the officers to eat their
poor r%ations. General BraddOck sal
apart from the others, and we were
not allowed to approach him. He ap
penred to me to be dispirited over the
condition and sluggishness Of the
army, and ~disgruntled with several of
his officers. How much the last con.
clusion was due to my observation.
and how much to the report Cromit
had brought me after Beauvais es
capped from the road-builders' camp !
cannot say. Undoubtedly Cromit's talk
influenced my decision, as | saw him
there within seventy-two hours of bis
bloody death
ITO BE cONTINuED.D