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Chapter 1
Butundertheinfluenceoftheirdegradedfortunes,bothofficersandmenappearedbetterdisposedtoawaittheapproachoftheirformidableantagonists,withintheirworks,thantoresisttheprogressoftheirmarch,byemulatingthesuccessfulexampleoftheFrenchatFortduQuesne,andstrikingablowontheiradvance.
Afterthefirstsurpriseoftheintelligencehadalittleabated,arumorwasspreadthroughtheentrenchedcamp,whichstretchedalongthemarginoftheHudson,formingachainofoutworkstothebodyofthefortitself,thatachosendetachmentoffifteenhundredmenwastodepart,withthedawn,forWilliamHenry,thepostatthenorthernextremityoftheportage.Thatwhichatfirstwasonlyrumor,soonbecamecertainty,asorderspassedfromthequartersofthecommander-in-chieftotheseveralcorpshehadselectedforthisservice,topreparefortheirspeedydeparture.AlldoubtastotheintentionofWebbnowvanished,andanhourortwoofhurriedfootstepsandanxiousfacessucceeded.Thenoviceinthemilitaryartflewfrompointtopoint,retardinghisownpreparationsbytheexcessofhisviolentandsomewhatdistemperedzeal;whilethemorepractisedveteranmadehisarrangementswithadeliberationthatscornedeveryappearanceofhaste;thoughhissoberlineamentsandanxiouseyesufficientlybetrayedthathehadnoverystrongprofessionalrelishfortheasyetuntriedanddreadedwarfareofthewilderness.
