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A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

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.1747.] A GREAT WAR-PARTY. 223had apparently lived <strong>in</strong> harmony, <strong>and</strong> found means<strong>of</strong> subsistence, as they are reported to have been <strong>in</strong>tolerable condition.Stevens had brought with him a number <strong>of</strong>otherdogs, — animals found useful for detect<strong>in</strong>g the presence<strong>of</strong> Indians <strong>and</strong> track<strong>in</strong>g them to their lurk<strong>in</strong>gplaces.A week or more after the arrival <strong>of</strong> theparty, these can<strong>in</strong>e allies showed great uneas<strong>in</strong>ess<strong>and</strong> barked without ceas<strong>in</strong>g ;a strict watch toon which Stevens orderedbe kept, <strong>and</strong> great precaution to beused <strong>in</strong> open<strong>in</strong>g the gate <strong>of</strong> the fort. It was time,for the surround<strong>in</strong>g forest concealed what the NewEngl<strong>and</strong> chroniclers callan "army," comm<strong>and</strong>ed byGeneral Debel<strong>in</strong>e. It scarcely need be said thatCanada had no General Debel<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>and</strong> that no suchname is to be found <strong>in</strong> Canadian annals. The"army" was a large war-party <strong>of</strong> both French <strong>and</strong>Indians, <strong>and</strong> a French record shows that its comm<strong>and</strong>erwas Boucher de Niverville, ensign <strong>in</strong> thecolony troops.^The behavior <strong>of</strong> the dogs was as yet the only sign<strong>of</strong> danger, when, about n<strong>in</strong>e o'clock on the morn<strong>in</strong>g<strong>of</strong> the seventh <strong>of</strong> April, one <strong>of</strong> Stevens's men took itupon him to go out <strong>and</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d what was amiss. Accompaniedby two or three <strong>of</strong> the dogs, he advanced,gun <strong>in</strong> h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>in</strong>to the clear<strong>in</strong>g, peer<strong>in</strong>g at everystump, lest an Indian should lurk beh<strong>in</strong>d it.about twenty rods from the gate, he saw a largeWhenlog,1 Extrait en forme de Journal de ce qui s'est pass€ d'<strong>in</strong>Mressant dansla Colonie a I'occasion des Mouvements de Guerre, etc., 1746, 1747

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