116 COLLISION OF THE EIVAL COLONIES. [1755 



are too many ; if they are to fight, they are too 

 few." His remonstrance was unheeded ; arid the 

 brave old savage, unable from age and corpulence 

 to fight on foot, mounted his horse, and joined 

 the English detachment with two hundred of his 

 warriors. At sunrise, the party defiled from the 

 camp, and entering the forest disappeared from 

 the eyes of their comrades. 



Those who remained behind labored with all the 

 energy of alarm to fortify their unprotected camp. 

 An hour elapsed, when from the distance was 

 heard a sudden explosion of musketry. The 

 excited soldiers suspended their work to listen. 

 A rattling fire succeeded, deadened among the 

 woods, but growing louder and nearer, till none 

 could doubt that their comrades had met the 

 French, and were defeated. 



This was indeed the case. Marching through 

 thick woods, by the narrow and newly-cut road 

 which led along the valley southward from Lake 

 George, Williams, the English commander, had 

 led his men full into an ambuscade, where all 

 Dieskau's army lay in wait to receive them. From 

 the woods on both sides rose an appalling shout, 

 followed by a storm of bullets. Williams was 

 soon shot down ; Hendrick shared his fate ; many 

 officers fell, and the road was strewn with dead 

 and wounded soldiers. The English gave way at 

 once. Had they been regular troops, the result 

 would have been worse ; but every man was a 

 woodsman and a hunter. Some retired in bodies 

 along the road ; while the greater part spread 



