Indian camp, on the top of a rocky hill, where, to judge from the
number of wigwams, at least one hundred and seventy warriors must have
lodged. The fires were still burning; which showed but too plainly
that the stealthy foe was on the watch, and not far distant. Some of
the trees hard by had been stripped of their bark; and on their white,
sappy trunks were to be seen, in the rude picture-writing of the
Indians, savage taunts and threats of vengeance meant for the English;
while intermixed with these were bullying boasts and blackguard slang,
written in the French language, as if to force on the notice of those
who were to read them the fact, that there were white as well as red
men lurking near.

It had almost slipped my mind to tell you, that Braddock, moved
perhaps by the advice of Washington, had, before setting out from Fort
Cumberland, employed a small party of Indians, with their sachem Yadi
at their head, to serve as guides and spies during the campaign. A few
days after passing the deserted camp on the rock, four or five
soldiers, straggling too far in the rear, were suddenly waylaid by the
prowling foe, and all murdered and scalped on the spot.

To avenge the death of their comrades, a squad of regulars went out
in quest of the enemy, and soon came in sight of a small party of
Indians, who held up the boughs of trees before them, and stood their
rifles on the ground, as a sign that they were friends. Not
understanding this, however, and the distance being too great for them
to make out who they were, the blundering regulars fired, and one of
the party fell dead on the spot,--a youthful warrior, who proved to be
the son of the sachem Yadi. When Braddock heard of this melancholy
accident, he was deeply grieved. He forthwith sent for the bereaved
father, and, to his praise be it ever recorded, endeavored, by kind
words and liberal presents, to console him, and make some little
amends for his heavy loss; and, as a still further token of his
regard, he ordered the hapless youth to be buried with all the honors
of war. The body, borne on a bier, was followed by the officers, two
and two; while the soldiers, drawn up in two lines, with the grave
between them, stood facing each other, with the points of their
muskets turned downward, and their chins resting in the hollow of the
breeches. When the body was lowered, they fired three volleys over the
grave, and left the young warrior to his long sleep on the hillside,