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50. A Successful Ruse ![]() |
Māne ad castellum cum comitibus circiter sexāgintā vēnit Pontiac, conciliumque postulāvit. Haud magnō intervāllō[1] sequēbātur reliqua multitūdō Indōrum, quī simulābant sē extrā mūnītiōnēs pilā[2] lūsūrōs[3].
Portīs castellī patefactīs, Pontiac, quī nihil suspicābātur, ūnā cum comitibus, quī omnēs[4] arma vestīmentīs[5] tēcta ferēbant, sine morā intrāvit; deinde autem vehementer permōtus mīlitēs omnēs et complūrēs negōtiātōrēs cum armīs[6] circumstāre[7] animadvertit. Postquam vērō ad prīncipia[8] dēductus est ac vīdit duōs trēsve tantum adesse centuriōnēs, audācter cum lēgātō loquī coepit.
Priusquam ad castellum perventum est, comitēs rēx monuerat sē, cum pauca[9] prius dē pāce locūtus esset, lēgātō zōnam[10] datūrum[11]; quō sīgnō[12] impetum statim in lēgātum centuriōnēsque faciendum esse, cum interim Indī cēterī[13], quī extrā mūnitiōnēs relictī erant, per portās inrumperent praesidiumque adorīrentur.
Cum vērō porrigere zōnam[14] ille cōnārētur, lēgātus sīgnum dedit[15], et subitō prīncipia[16] sonō armōrum complēta sunt. Tum dēmum barbarī, quī iam plānē sentiēbant omnia cōnsilia sua patefacta esse, vultū dēmissō ē castellō silentiō sunt ēgressī, atque in silvās properāvērunt; ubi ē cōnspectū Britannōrum mox āmissī sunt.
- ↑ intervāllō: translate the abl. “at” (strictly, abl. of manner).
- ↑ pilā: (at) ball; abl. of means (pila,-ae, f.).
- ↑ lūsūrōs: sc. esse.
- ↑ quī omnēs: all of whom.
- ↑ vestīmentīs: abl. of means; but translate “under.”
- ↑ cum armīs: i.e. (fully) armed.
- ↑ cīrcumstāre: i.e. in such a way as to encircle Pontiac and his followers.
- ↑ prīncipia: prīncipia, -ōrum, n., headquarters.
- ↑ pauca: note the gender; cf. multa, p. 5, l. 9.
- ↑ zōnam: zona, -ae, f., belt.
- ↑ datūrum: would offer.
- ↑ quō signō: abl. of time when; translate “at.”
- ↑ cēteri: i.e. reliquī.
- ↑ zōnam: see p. 57, l. 16.
- ↑ signum dedit: i.e. made a motion.
- ↑ prīncipia: see p. 57, l. 11.