WASHINGTON MADE LIEUTENANT-COLONEL.

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cultivating the land, it was not likely that many would take to the more uncertain profession of a soldier.

It was found necessary at this time to offer a bounty of land on the Ohio river, which attracted those who had not any land of their own.

When Washington had gathered his forces, his next difficulty was to convey them to the appointed place. They had to create roads for themselves, and also to pioneer for the artillery, which was following under Colonel Fry's command. This was very slow work-they could not prepare more than four miles a day-and the country in which they were labouring was exceedingly savage and dreary.

News came to Washington that the French had summoned a number of Englishmen in a half-finished fort to surrender, and to cease from their operations. He forwarded this news to Governor Dinwiddie, and pressed forward manfully himself, with his small body of men. He was cheered by hearing that his old friend, the half-king, was coming to meet him with a band of Indian warriors.

The weary march at last was over. Washington and his soldiers arrived on the banks of Youhiogany river, and stayed to make a bridge across it. While they were thus employed, a message came from the

half-king to say that

the French were marching to meet Major Washington and his troops, and that they must be on their guard. Washington therefore made his troops encamp in a place called Great Meadows, cleared the bushes away, and prepared for action. Mr. Gist joined him here, and told him that the French leader, La Force, had been near him the night before with a body of troops, and that the French were certainly lurking about in the neighbourhood. Washington made his way under cover of the darkness to the half-king's

camp, which was not far off, and Indian scouts were put upon the track. They soon brought back news that they had come upon an outpost of the French, encamped in a small valley near. Washington then suggested that they should take them by surprise; the half-king with his Indians was to come down upon them from one side, while Washington at the head of his soldiers advanced from the other. The plan was carried out silently and cautiously, but the French caught sight of them, and a sharp firing instantly took place, and was kept up on both sides for about fifteen minutes. Washington and his party were most exposed, and received all the enemy's fire. The balls whistled around him; one man was killed close by him, and three others wounded. The French, at length, having lost several of their number, gave way and ran. They were soon overtaken; twenty-one were captured, and but one escaped, a Canadian, who carried the tidings of the affair to the fort on the Ohio.

The young French leader, Jumonville, was killed at the first fire. La Force was taken prisoner, and sent to Governor Dinwiddie, with many cautions from Washington as to his dangerous power when at liberty. This was the first skirmish Washington had been in, and it had roused a great military spirit within him. In writing to his brother of it, he says, "I heard the bullets whistle, and, believe me, there is something charming in the sound." In later life, when he was reminded of this remark, his answer was, "If I said so, it was when I was young." By that time the sound of the bullets had gathered many a dark memory for him, of brave comrades shot down at his side, battles lost, and a noble cause almost desperate.

The French were nearly a thousand strong, under their

THE CAMP IN GREAT MEADOWS.

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leader, Contrecœur, and knew of the small numbers of the encampment in Great Meadows. Washington wrote to beg for reinforcements from Colonel Fry, who was lying ill at Wills' Creek. He also wrote to Governor Dinwiddie, saying, "Your honour may depend I will not be surprised, let them come at what hour they will, and this is as much as I can promise; but my best endeavours shall not be wanting to effect more. I doubt not, if you hear I am beaten, but you will hear at the same time that we have done our duty in fighting as long as there is a shadow of hope."

Anxieties came thickly upon the young commander now. Colonel Fry died at Wills' Creek, and the command of the regiment devolved upon Washington. Provisions ran short in the camp, and it was difficult to procure any more from the traders round. The fort with the palisades which they had been so busily engaged in making was called by the soldiers, in some bitterness of spirit, Fort Necessity. It was at length finished, and Colonel Fry's men joined Washington here. Major Muse also came to him from Governor Dinwiddie, bringing some guns and ammunition; he brought as well some presents for the Indians, by Washington's advice. There was an amusing ceremonial for giving them away. the chiefs were dressed and painted in their finest manner. Washington wore a medal, presented to him by the governor for such occasions; and after a speech had been made, with all due solemnity, he decorated the chiefs and warriors with medals, which they were to wear "in remembrance of their father, the King of England."

One of the warriors was a son of that Queen Aliquippa to whom Washington had given his old coat. She sent her son to the English camp, desiring that he should receive an English name; he was therefore called "Fairfax," and the

half-king, who wished for the same honour, was named "Dinwiddie." They called Washington, in return, by the name of "Connotaucaurius," but no one seemed to know what this meant. In all his dealings with the Indians, Washington showed a great deal of tact and discernment, conforming as much as possible to their habits and etiquette, but never lowering his own standard of right and wrong to please them. It was his daily custom to have public prayers in his camp, at which he assembled all the soldiery, and the Indian warriors with their wives and children; and this habit seems to have much impressed the Indians.

Meanwhile, Captain Mackay, holding a commission in the regular British army, came up with a body of South Carolina men to Fort Necessity, and Washington with his men made an effort to push on farther. Hearing, however, that large French reinforcements had arrived at Fort Duquesne, and were preparing to attack him, he retreated to Fort Necessity again, and spent his time in strengthening the fort to the best of his ability, helping to cut down trees and to lop the branches off them with his own hands. The news he had heard of the French was quite true. Captain de Villiers (a near relation of Jumonville, who had been killed) had set out at the head of 500 French soldiers, and a band of Indians, to revenge himself on Washington, and was drawing near to the camp in Great Meadows.

Just at this time Washington's Indian allies deserted him, and he was left to meet his danger alone. The halfking pretended to think that he was not sufficiently consulted, and was offended. "The French," he said, "were cowards, and the English fools;" so he took his wife and children away to a place of safety. Shortly afterwards he was taken ill, and died, declaring that he had been

bewitched by the French, on account of the death of Jumonville.

Washington, after doing what he could in the way of preparations, awaited further news of the French, and soon heard their muskets. There was a sharp fire kept up on both sides in a pouring rain; but at last the English were obliged to capitulate, and to march out of Fort Necessity upon the best terms they were able to make, by means of the blundering interpreting of Jacob Van Braam, who was the only one of the company who understood any French. Washington beat a retreat with his troops to Wills' Creek, and then went to report himself to the governor. not success which he had to report, but failure, though he was given a vote of thanks for his personal bravery. And failure, rather than success, was his lot in life for a considerable time. Perhaps even failure was necessary in building up that great character. Success is the world's estimate of men and things, but God uses failure to teach men that which success could never teach.

It was