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Chapter 1
While,inthepursuitoftheirdaringplansofannoyance,therestlessenterpriseoftheFrenchevenattemptedthedistantanddifficultgorgesoftheAlleghany,itmayeasilybeimaginedthattheirproverbialacutenesswouldnotoverlookthenaturaladvantagesofthedistrictwehavejustdescribed.Itbecame,emphatically,thebloodyarena,inwhichmostofthebattlesforthemasteryofthecolonieswerecontested.Fortswereerectedatthedifferentpointsthatcommandedthefacilitiesoftheroute,andweretakenandretaken,razedandrebuilt,asvictoryalightedonthehostilebanners.Whilethehusbandmanshrankbackfromthedangerouspasses,withinthesaferboundariesofthemoreancientsettlements,armieslargerthanthosethathadoftendisposedofthesceptresofthemothercountries,wereseentoburythemselvesintheseforests,whencetheyrarelyreturnedbutinskeletonbands,thatwerehaggardwithcare,ordejectedbydefeat.Thoughtheartsofpeacewereunknowntothisfatalregion,itsforestswerealivewithmen;itsshadesandglensrangwiththesoundsofmartialmusic,andtheechoesofitsmountainsthrewbackthelaugh,orrepeatedthewantoncry,ofmanyagallantandrecklessyouth,ashehurriedbythem,inthenoontideofhisspirits,toslumberinalongnightofforgetfulness.
Itwasinthissceneofstrifeandbloodshedthattheincidentsweshallattempttorelateoccurred,duringthethirdyearofthewarwhichEnglandandFrancelastwagedforthepossessionofacountrythatneitherwasdestinedtoretain.
