patient my Return.

PONTEACH.

'Tis friendly in you thus to help your Brother;
But I suspect his Courage in the Field;
A love-sick Boy makes but a cow'rdly Captain.

PHILIP.

His Love may spur him on with greater Courage;
He thinks he's fighting for a double Prize;
And but for this, and Hopes of greater Service
In forwarding the Treaty with the Mohawk,
I now had been in Arms and warm in Battle.

PONTEACH.

I much commend the Wisdom of your Stay.
Prepare yourself, and hasten to his Quarters;
You cannot make th' Attempt with too much Speed.
Urge ev'ry Argument with Force upon him,
Urge my strong Friendship, urge your Brother's Love,
His Daughter's Happiness, the common Good;
The general Sense of all the Indian Chiefs,
The Baseness of our Foes, our Hope of Conquest;
The Richness of the Plunder if we speed;
That we'll divide and share it as he pleases;
That our Success is certain if he joins us.
Urge these, and what besides to you occurs;
All cannot fail, I think, to change his Purpose.

PHILIP.

You'd think so more if you knew all my Plan. [_Aside._
I'm all prepar'd now I've receiv'd your Orders,
But first must speak t' his Children ere I part,
I am to meet them in the further Grove.

PONTEACH.

Hark! there's a Shout--We've News of some Success;
It is the Noise of Victory and Triumph. [_Enter a MESSENGER._

MESSENGER.

Huzza! for our brave Warriors are return'd
Loaded with Plunder and the Scalps of Christians. [_Enter WARRIORS._

PONTEACH.

What have you done? Why all this Noise and Shouting?

1ST WARRIOR.

Three Forts are taken, all consum'd and plunder'd;
The English in them all destroy'd by Fire,
Except some few escap'd to die with Hunger.

2ND WARRIOR.

We've smok'd the Bear in spite of all his Craft,
Burnt up their Den, and made them take the Field:
The mighty Colonel Cockum and his Captain
Have dull'd our Tomhocks; here are both their Scalps:
[_Holding out the two scalps._
Their Heads are split, our Dogs have eat their Brains.

PHILIP.

If that be all they've eat, the Hounds will starve.

3RD WARRIOR.

These are the scalps of those two famous Cheats
Who bought our Furs for Rum, and sold us Water.
[_Holding out the scalps, which PONTEACH takes._
Our Men are loaded with their Furs again,
And other Plunder from the Villains' Stores.

PONTEACH.

All this is brave! [_Tossing up the scalp