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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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1743.] THE WAERIORS DISPERSE. 33tak<strong>in</strong>g the chief, but <strong>in</strong> reach<strong>in</strong>g the camp where thewomen <strong>and</strong> children had been left. They foundthem all <strong>in</strong> safety;the Snakes had not attacked them,<strong>and</strong> the panic <strong>of</strong> the warriors was needless. It wasthe n<strong>in</strong>th <strong>of</strong> February. They were scarcely housedwhen a blizzard set <strong>in</strong>, <strong>and</strong> on the night <strong>of</strong> the tenththe pla<strong>in</strong>s were buried <strong>in</strong> snow. The great chief hadnot appeared. With such <strong>of</strong> his warriors as he couldpersuade to follow him, he had made a wide circuitto f<strong>in</strong>d the trail <strong>of</strong> the lost Frenchmen, but, to hisgreat distress, had completely failed.It was not tillfive days after the arrival <strong>of</strong> the Chevalier <strong>and</strong> hismen that the chief reached the camp, "more deadthan alive," <strong>in</strong> the words <strong>of</strong> the journal. All hishardships were forgotten when he found his whitefriends safe, for he had given them up for lost."His sorrow turned to joy, <strong>and</strong> he could not giveus attention <strong>and</strong> caresses enough."The camp broke up, <strong>and</strong> the allied b<strong>and</strong>s dispersed.The great chief <strong>and</strong> his followers moved slowlythrough the snowdrifts towards the east-southeast,accompanied by the Frenchmen.Thus they kept ontill the first <strong>of</strong> March, when the two brothers, learn<strong>in</strong>gthat they were approach<strong>in</strong>g the w<strong>in</strong>ter village <strong>of</strong>a people called Gens de la Petite Cerise, or Choke-Cherry Indians, sent one <strong>of</strong> their men, with a guide,to visit them.The man returned <strong>in</strong> ten days, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>ga message from the Choke-Cherry Indians, <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>gthe Frenchmen to their lodges.The great chief <strong>of</strong>VOL. II. — 3the Bow Indians, who seems to

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