450 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



Point. Two of his rangers were appointed to 

 watch the boats, and to keep themselves con- 

 cealed till the party should return ; or if the en- 

 emy should discover the boats, to pursue the 

 track of the party with the greatest speed, and 

 give inteliigeace to the commander. The se- 

 cond evening after Rogers left the bay, the two 

 trusty rangers overtook the party, and informed 

 Ro2:ers that four hundred French and Indians 

 Iiad discovered the boats and sent them away 

 with fifty men ; and that the remainder were 

 in pursuit of the English pai-ty. Rogers kept 

 the intelligence to himself ; and ordered a lieu- 

 tenant, with eight men and these two rangers to 

 proceed to Crown Point ; inform the general of 

 what had taken place, and request him to send 

 provisions to Coos (now Newbury) on Con- 

 necticut river, by Vv'hich he m.eant to return. 



Nothing now remained for Rogers but to 

 give up the expedition, or to outmarch his pur- 

 suers. He determined on the latter, and push- 

 ed forward for St. Francois, with all the expe- 

 dition that was possible. On the fourth of Oc- 

 tober, at eight o'clock in the evening, he came 

 within sif;hi of the town. Ordering his m.en to 

 halt and refresh themselves, he dressed himself 

 in the Indian garb, and took with him two In- 

 dians Vv'ho understood the language of the St, 

 Frar.cois tribe, and went to reconnoitre the town. 

 Ke found the Indians engaged in a grand dance, 

 and without any apprehension of danger. At 

 tv,-o o'clock in tlie morning, he returned to his 

 detachmeiit, and marched them to the distance 

 of about five hu! 'dred yards from the town. A- 

 bout four o'clock the Indians broke up their 



