The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-11-02

I.t e. -4Ia
patch him before he could reload His
companion would fire and check the
charge. This was repeatedly done,
and done as calmly and cOOIly as q
man would work in curing his tobacco.
There was no pursuit beyond the
! ford, although only WEAKNESS. or their
love Of plumber. prevented them from
killing US tor many along mile. Later
the colonies learned that Dunbar's
retreat was unexpected and the
French FASTENED back to the fort, still
believing they would be attacked.
Those who had fed on horses were
well on their way to the first cross
Ing. or far beyond It.
suppose II was the evening of
that same day that came to STUN.
bling halt at the edge Of an opening
and stared across large cleared
space. The spot was familiar, and
with shock ! suddenly discovered
1t was on the Ailegenhy and about
half mile above Duquesne. did
not lose my wits again. From that
moment on my memory Is painfully
exact.
Savages were singing and dancing
around some stakes. counted twelve
of the stakes, and to each was fas
tened an inert charred figure. From
the red coats and other trophies be-
Ing displayed l knew the dead men
had been regulars and that they had
died by torture. was glad they we're
through with all and were beyond all
further misery.
| must have been very weak when
came to my senses on the edge of the
clearing, for I could not have tasted
food during my blind wanderings
The shock OF the twelve stakes, how.
ever. gave me something that an
swered for physical strength. and ]
fell back rapidly from the dangerous
neighbOrhoOd.
There were no indians abroad in
the forest, for none was willing to
miss the feasting and drinking and
torture, let alone the distribution of
the rich booty. Moving painfully and
without sighting any human being
came to the rough country at the
head of Turtle creek and fOrded and
gained the army's camp on Rush
creek. It did not seem possible that
seventy-odd hours before Braddocks
army had halted here. That was far
back among the old things. as the
Indians would have expressed it
Then by slow stages | followed the
Braddock road back to the Great
Meadows. All along the road were
nuskets and accOuterments. discarded
by those who had passed over the
road ahead of me; and there was no
need to be saving of powder and lead
= It did seem as If all the buzzards
in North America had come to west
ern Pennsylvania, and never have
seen bears so plentiful. There Is
story based on the Monongahela bat
tie 20 the effect that the bears grew
to have contempt for human beings
after eating the dead of BraddOck's
army. never placed credence in the
story. but can vouch that the terutes
were not easily frightened by my ap-
poach. shot several but depended
upon rabbits, turkeys and deer for
food. More than once | had to fight
my nerves before | could approach
hudded form in the road ahead. fear
ing it might be the girl. Just beyond
the Meadows | came upon three men
cooking deer-meat over little fire.
They were Withholding creatures and
at my approach sprang up and
snatched for their guns.
'Have any of you seen a wagner
on horse, Dan Morgan by name?"
| called to them. sand was he rid
ing double with a fellow younger
than he?"
Devil take your man Morgan and
tother feller!" cried one If them.
cit out of sight afOre lose my pa
thence. promised my younkers a
French sculp. By the Eternal
Your hair might do just as well Fat
crops in and growing. and now we
must quit 'em and fort ourselves.
Curse the day we ever heard the name
of Braddock."
"We'll do our own fighting in our
own way next time," bawled one of
the other men.
His words fell idly on my ears yet
was to live to recall them, and to
realize the fellow had unwittingly
uttered the one great truth that the
battle of the MonOngahela taught us
-self-dependence. From the begin
ming of the colonies, we had relied
on England, and now that the best
she could give US for our protection
had miserably failed, we were to learn
self-reliance, and the few long rifles
that allowed fragment of the army
to escape across the second ford were
in my day to increase TO thousands
But that knowledge was all ahead OF
me; and dishearted at not finding
some trace of Morgan and the Din
void girl left the sullen trio and
continued my weary journey.