When Croghan told Scarouady, Scarouady laughed.
“I think little of this old red-faced soldier chief,” he uttered. “He has never been in the woods, and he listens to no advice from us who have. While he is eating and drinking and making his stiff-coated men walk about like bears on their hind legs, I could take my men and Washington could take his men and we could capture the French. But I will stay, for I wish to fight the French, and I will not desert Washington. The rest may go home.”
Most of the Mingos did go home. The men were glad enough to do so; they did not get along well with the English soldiers, who treated them like children and seemed to have no manners; and besides, they heard that Gist’s son had been sent to bring up the Cherokees and Catawbas, who were enemies.
The women and children had been having a good time. Bright Lightning had been having the best time of all, for she was pretty and smart and was called a princess by the officers. But her father White Thunder sent her home with the others.
“You stay?” she asked of Robert and the Buck.
“We stay.”
“Wah!” Bright Lightning laughed. “I would stay too if I were a warrior. But maybe when you get into Fort Duquesne I will come and get you out. The English chief thinks he can blind the French and Ottawa with his red coats, but they will cut him into pieces like a snake.”
The Scarouady people went back to Aukwick. Those who did stay were Scarouady, White Thunder, Aroas who was Silver Heels, Big Tree, Cashuwayon or Captain Newcastle who was a Delaware and a son of old Queen Allaquippa, Scarouady’s son-in-law Iagrea, Guyasuta the young warrior, the Buck and Robert the Hunter.
Yes, the red-faced General seemed to be an unwise man. On the very day before the start was made, who should come into camp but Captain Jack the Black Rifle, leading thirty of his white warriors, all dressed for war. Washington and Gist and others shook hands with him. He went into the Braddock tent, and did not stay long. Soon he came out and he motioned to his men, and they left in single file, to enter the forest again.
Then Scarouady shouted: “Ho! Black Rifle!” He and Croghan ran after, and so did the Buck and Robert, to hear.