Chapter 28

           "Brief,Iprayyou;foryousee,’tisabusytimewithme."

           MuchAdoAboutNothing.

           Thetribe,orratherhalftribe,ofDelawares,whichhasbeensooftenmentioned,andwhosepresentplaceofencampmentwassonighthetemporaryvillageoftheHurons,couldassembleaboutanequalnumberofwarriorswiththelatterpeople.Liketheirneighbors,theyhadfollowedMontcalmintotheterritoriesoftheEnglishcrown,andweremakingheavyandseriousinroadsonthehunting-groundsoftheMohawks;thoughtheyhadseenfit,withthemysteriousreservesocommonamongthenatives,towithholdtheirassistanceatthemomentwhenitwasmostrequired.TheFrenchhadaccountedforthisunexpecteddefectiononthepartoftheirallyinvariousways.Itwastheprevalentopinion,however,thattheyhadbeeninfluencedbyvenerationfortheancienttreaty,thathadoncemadethemdependentontheSixNationsformilitaryprotection,andnowrenderedthemreluctanttoencountertheirformermasters.Asforthetribeitself,ithadbeencontenttoannouncetoMontcalm,throughhisemissaries,withIndianbrevity,thattheirhatchetsweredull,andtimewasnecessarytosharpenthem.ThepoliticcaptainoftheCanadashaddeemeditwisertosubmittoentertainapassivefriend,thanbyanyactsofill-judgedseveritytoconverthimintoanopenenemy.