phia lads still hold the little fortress,
and have occasional skirmishes with wandering bands. Theirs has been a
good work, well done."

But while Colonel Johnson was not a member of the council and could
not sit with it, he had a great reputation with all the governors, and
the next day he was asked to appear before them and General Braddock,
where he was treated with the consideration due to a man of his
achievements, and where the council, without waiting for the authority
of the English king, gave him full and complete powers to treat with
the Hodenosaunee, and to heal the wounds inflicted upon the pride of
the nations by the commissioners at Albany. He was thus made
superintendent of Indian affairs in North America, and he was also as
he had said to lead the expedition against Crown Point. He came forth
from the council exultant, his eyes glowing.

"'Tis even more than I had hoped," he said to Willet, "and now I must
say farewell to you and the brave lads with you. We have come to the
edge of great things, and there is no time to waste."

He hastened northward, the council broke up the next day, and the
visiting governors hurried back to their respective provinces to
prepare for the campaigns, leaving Braddock to strike the first blow.

CHAPTER XV

THE FOREST FIGHT

Robert thought they would march at once, but annoying delays
occurred. He had noticed that Hamilton, the governor of the great
neighboring province of Pennsylvania, was not present at the council,
but he did not know the cause of it until Stuart, the young Virginian,
told him.

"Pennsylvania is in a huff," he said, "because General Braddock's army
has been landed at Alexandria instead of Philadelphia. Truth to tell,
for an expedition against Fort Duquesne, Philadelphia would have been
a nearer and better place, but I hear that one John Hanbury, a
powerful merchant who trades much in Virginia, wanted the troops to
come this way that he might sell them supplies, and he persuaded the
Duke of Newcastle to choose Alexandria. 'Tis a bad state of affairs,
Lennox, but you and I can't remedy it. The chief trouble is between
the general and the Pennsylvanians, many of whom are Quakers and
Germans, as obstinate people as this world has ever produced."

The differences and difficulties were soon patent to all. A month of
spring was passing, and the army was far from having the necessary
supplies. Neither Virginia nor Pennsylvania responded properl