They
were armed with their own rifles. Only the English had bayonets so far.
The Americans instead carried hatchets or tomahawks at their belts, and
the hatchet had many uses. Every man also carried a big jack or clasp
knife which, too, had its many uses.

The New Englanders, who were most numerous in the camp, were of pure
British blood, a race that had become in the American climate tall, thin
and very muscular, enduring of body and tenacious of spirit, religious,
ambitious, thinking much of both worldly gain and the world hereafter.
Among them moved the people of Dutch blood from the province of New
York, generally short and fat like their ancestors, devoted to good
living, cheerful in manner, but hard and unscrupulous in their dealing
with the Indians, and hence a menace to the important alliance with the
Hodenosaunee.

There were the Germans, also, most of them descendants of the fugitives
from the Palatinate, after it had been ravaged by the generals of Louis
XIV, a quiet, humble people, industrious, honest, sincerely religious,
low at present in the social scale, and patronized by the older families
of English or Dutch blood, perhaps not dreaming that their race would
become some day the military terror of the world.

The Mohawks, who passed freely through the throng, were its most
picturesque feature. The world bred no more haughty savages than they.
Tall men, with high cheek bones, and fierce eyes, they wore little
clothing in the summer weather, save now and then a blanket of brilliant
color for the sake of adornment. There were also some Onondagas, as
proud as the Mohawks, but not so fierce.

A few Virginians and Marylanders, come to cooperate with the northern
forces, were present, and they, like the New Englanders, were of pure
British blood. Now and then a Swede, broad of face, from the Jersey
settlements could be seen, and there was scarcely a nation in western
Europe that did not have at least one representative in the streets of
Albany.

It pleased Robert to see the great variety of the throng. It made a deep
impression upon his imaginative mind. Already he foresaw the greatness
of America, when these races were blended in a land of infinite
resources. But such thoughts were driven from his mind by a big figure
that loomed before him and a hearty voice that saluted him.

"Day dreaming, Master Lennox?" said the voice. "One does not have much
time for dreams now, when the world is so full of actio