212 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA : 
day passed over without his drawing nearer to 
them ; but fully persuaded that he would come 
up with them on the next, they still lay con¬ 
cealed in the same place. The third day proved 
to be extremely rainy and tempestuous; and 
the scouts having brought word, that from the 
movements General Wayne had made, there 
was no likehood of his marching towards them 
that day, the Indians, now hungry after having 
fasted for three entire days, determined to rise 
from their ambush in order to take some re¬ 
freshment. They accordingly did so, and hav¬ 
ing no suspicion of an attack, began to eat 
their food in security. 
Before they began to eat, the Indians had 
divided themselves, I must observe, into three 
divisions, in order to march to another quarter, 
where they hoped to surprize the army of the 
States. In this situation, however, they were 
themselves surprized by General Wayne. He 
had received intelligence from his scouts, now 
equally cunning with those of the Indians, of 
their proceedings, and having made some mo¬ 
tions as if he intended to move to another part 
of the country, in order to put them off their 
guard, he suddenly turned, and sent his light 
horse pouring down on them when they least 
expected it. The Indians were thrown into 
confusion, a circumstance which with them 
never fails to occasion a defeat; they made but 
