The Hunters of the Hills

The Hunters of the Hills, by
Joseph Altsheler

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Title: The Hunters of the Hills
Author: Joseph Altsheler
Release Date: February 3, 2005 [eBook #14890]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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HUNTERS OF THE HILLS***
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THE HUNTERS OF THE HILLS

A Story of the Great French and Indian War
by
JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER
Author of The Tree Of Appomattox, The Keepers Of The Trail, The
Forest Of Swords, etc.
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. New York
1916

FOREWORD
"The Hunters of the Hills" is the first volume of a series dealing with
the great struggle of France and England and their colonies for
dominion in North America, culminating with the fall of Quebec. It is
also concerned to a large extent with the Iroquois, the mighty league
known in their own language as the Hodenosaunee, for the favor of
which both French and English were high bidders. In his treatment of
the theme the author has consulted many authorities, and he is not
conscious of any historical error.

CHARACTERS IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR SERIES
ROBERT LENNOX A lad of unknown origin TAYOGA A young
Onondaga warrior DAVID WILLET A hunter RAYMOND LOUIS DE
ST. LUC A brilliant French officer AGUSTE DE COURCELLES A
French officer FRANÇOIS DE JUMONVILLE A French officer
LOUIS DE GALISONNIÈRE A young French officer JEAN DE
MÉZY A corrupt Frenchman ARMAND GLANDELET A young
Frenchman PIERRE BOUCHER A bully and bravo PHILIBERT
DROUILLARD A French priest THE MARQUIS DUQUESNE
Governor-General of Canada MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL

Governor-General of Canada FRANÇOIS BIGOT Intendant of Canada
MARQUIS DE MONTCALM French commander-in-chief DE LEVIS
A French general BOURLAMAQUE A French general
BOUGAINVILLE A French general ARMAND DUBOIS A follower
of St. Luc M. DE CHATILLARD An old French Seigneur CHARLES
LANGLADE A French partisan THE DOVE The Indian wife of
Langlade TANDAKORA An Ojibway chief DAGANOWEDA A
young Mohawk chief HENDRICK An old Mohawk chief
BRADDOCK A British general ABERCROMBIE A British general
WOLFE A British general COL. WILLIAM JOHNSON
Anglo-American leader MOLLY BRANT Col. Wm. Johnson's Indian
wife JOSEPH BRANT Young brother of Molly Brant, afterward the
great Mohawk chief, Thayendanegea ROBERT DINWIDDIE
Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia WILLIAM SHIRLEY Governor of
Massachusetts BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Famous American patriot
JAMES COLDEN A young Philadelphia captain WILLIAM WILTON
A young Philadelphia lieutenant HUGH CARSON A young
Philadelphia lieutenant JACOBUS HUYSMAN An Albany burgher
CATERINA Jacobus Huysman's cook ALEXANDER MCLEAN An
Albany schoolmaster BENJAMIN HARDY A New York merchant
JOHNATHAN PILLSBURY Clerk to Benjamin Hardy ADRIAN VAN
ZOON A New York merchant THE SLAVER A nameless rover
ACHILLE GARAY A French spy ALFRED GROSVENOR A young
English officer JAMES CABELL A young Virginian WALTER
STUART A young Virginian BLACK RIFLE A famous "Indian
fighter" ELIHU STRONG A Massachusetts colonel ALAN HERVEY
A New York financier STUART WHYTE Captain of the British sloop,
Hawk JOHN LATHAM Lieutenant of the British sloop, Hawk
EDWARD CHARTERIS A young officer of the Royal Americans
ZEBEDEE CRANE A young scout and forest runner ROBERT
ROGERS Famous Captain of American Rangers

CONTENTS
CHAPTER

I.
THE THREE FRIENDS
II. ST. LUC
III. THE TOMAHAWK
IV. THE INTELLIGENT CANOE
V. THE MOHAWK CHIEF
VI. THE TWO FRENCHMEN
VII. NEW FRANCE
VIII. GUESTS OF THE ENEMY
IX. AT THE INN
X. THE MEETING
XI. BIGOT'S BALL
XII. THE HUNTER AND THE BRAVO
XIII. THE BOWMEN
XIV. ON CHAMPLAIN
XV. THE VALE OF ONONDAGA
XVI. THE GREAT TEST
CHAPTER I
THE THREE FRIENDS
A canoe containing two boys and a man was moving slowly on one of

the little lakes in the great northern wilderness of what is now the State
of New York. The water, a brilliant blue under skies of the same
intense sapphire tint, rippled away gently on either side of the prow, or
rose in heaps of glittering bubbles, as the paddles were lifted for a new
stroke.
Vast masses of dense foliage in the tender green of early spring
crowned the high banks of the lake on every side. The eye found no
break anywhere. Only the pink or delicate red of a wild flower just
bursting into bloom varied the solid expanse of emerald walls; and save
for the canoe and a bird of prey, darting in a streak of silver for a fish,
the surface of the water was lone and silent.
The three who used the paddles were