The History of England - a Study in Political Evolution

-ton was to take a fresh start in l

d their claims, and built forts on the great Lakes and on the banks of the O-hi-o Riv-er. They made friends

but those on the south shore were not. They had been well dealt with by the Eng-lish,

build towns, and take our land from us by fraud and force. We raised a flame in Mon-tre-al some time a-go, where w

ould have let you trade with us as they do, but we will no

ight. The Great Be-ing gave it to us. We have told the Eng-lish to move off, and they have heard

t me. I have no fear of such as you. I tell you that down the O-hi-o I will go, and build forts on it. If it were blocked up

It was the death-blow to his race. But he turned with hope and trust to the En

as just of age, and ranked as Ma-jor Wash-ing-ton. He was to go to the French out-post near Lake E-rie, with

s had crossed the Lakes, and to learn all that he could of those who had dare

re wild beasts had their lairs; and to cross streams on frail rafts, if they could not swim or ford them. There were but eight men in

what he had come for, and asked that some of their braves might go with him as guides and safe-guards for the rest of the way. He t

ight have some of their men as guides, but he would have to wait for

ime to lose, and so he set out with but four r

om the time they left Will-iams-burg they reached a place called Ven-an-go, where they saw a house from the top of which a French flag flew, and Wash-ing-ton called a halt. The head man in charge asked him and his friends to sup w

eep it. You Eng-lish may have two men to our one,

d Wash-ing-ton, who had kept his wits, wrote

great time, and hailed them as dear friends. He was so glad to see them! How could they be so near and not come to see him? He gave them gifts and plied them with strong drink, till Half-King and his braves thought no more of what they had pledged to the Eng-li

n-to a State that was owned by Great Brit-ain, and they were bid to go in peace. The French took two days in which to think of the course they should take, and in this time Wash-ing-ton se

drew a plan of this fort, and it was s

d he did not trust them. He heard that the Eng-lish who sought to trade on the O-hi-o were se

stores of food and wine put on their boats, and made a great show of good will, but at the same time he tried to keep the red-men with him, and told them he would give them guns for gifts the next day. Wash-ing-ton was

rip that had to be made by land, they had a hard time too. It was cold, the roads were deep in mire, and the steeds were so worn out, that it was feared they would fall by the way. Wash-ing-ton gave up his horse to

s gun in his hand by a way which, it seemed to him, would take him home by a short cut. He had the sealed note that he wished to give up as soon a

ed glad to see him. They asked the red-man if he would go with them and show them a short-cut to the Forks of the Al-le-gha-ny Riv-er. The red-man

and the red-man begged Wash-ing-ton to let him bear his gun. But the Ma-jor would not let it go out of his own hands. This made the red-man cross, and he urged th

at he could not make them go his way, or do as he said, he ceased to wear the face of a friend. At

not hit, so he turned to Mr.

white oak tree to load his gun. Gist would have

m make a fire for us by a small run as if we meant to sleep there. I said to the Ma-jor; 'As you will not have him killed, we must get ri

here is a cake of bread for you, and you must give us meat in the morn-ing.' He was glad to get off," Wash-ing-ton says, "We walked all the rest of the night, and ma

t night, at dusk, the two white men came to the Al

axe, and a poor one at that, and make a raft. It was a whole day's wo

t was jammed in the ice in such a way th

ard that Wash-ing-ton was thrown in-to the stream where it was at least ten feet deep. He would have been swept out of sight if he had not caught hold of one of the raft log

ough-out the long dark night. A gleam of hope came with the dawn of day, for they found the ice 'twixt them and the east bank of the stream was so h

ir, where he stopped one day to take the rest he was in need of, and then set out and reached Will-iams-burg on the 16th of Jan-u-a-ry. He gave to

nd pluck he had shown, was soon noised a-broad, and George Wash-