1891-92. ] AN EPISODE IN THE PONTIAC WAR. 247 
lay in ambush and attacked his party with great spirit, nay, they did on 
this occasion what savages were never known to do before, they threw 
themselves into houses, annoying the British troops very much from 
them and from behind fences. The action continued doubtful for some 
time; at last one troop were obliged to retire, which they did in good 
order to the Fort, leaving upon the field Captain Dalzell and about sixty 
private soldiers. Perwash knew nothing of the attack till the firing of 
the artillery and small arms aroused him from sleep, when he rose up in 
a great hurry, put on a powder horn and pouch, and tied my hands lest 
I should make an escape and kill the women and family. Then taking 
his gun he ran off as fast as he could to join the rest of the warriors and 
his party, who were about two miles off where he lived. In about a 
couple of hours afterwards he returned to us, overjoyed with the success 
of his party, giving a most pompous description of the fight, and giving 
out that a vast number of the English were killed, and allowed only six 
Indians to have fallen. He also told me that our great chief was killed, 
meaning Captain Dalzell. I was then unbound and sent to another hut 
for a large wooden mortar to put corn in to be pounded. The Indians 
to whom I was sent. had also been at the engagement, and boasted of 
their feats prodigiously. They told me they had taken out the heart of 
our great chief, and would soon feed on it, showing me poor Dalzell’s 
heart roasting at the fire, pieces of the fat of which the young men took 
and rubbed it, in my presence, on the mouth of a poor soldier in the 6oth 
Regiment, whom they had taken prisoner. This and other barbarous 
usage practised upon the prisoners shocked me so much, that I went 
directly to Mr. Boileau under pretence of bringing some bread to 
our hut, and agreed to meet him that night at the place of rendezvous, 
repeating my promises of reward which I engaged still further to increase. 
When evening arrived I lay down as usual on my bear skin to repose, 
putting off all my raiments, wampum, silver bracelets, collar, etc., and 
about the middle of the night when I guessed all the family to be sound 
asleep, I crawled out of the hut on all fours. When outside I stood at 
the door for five minutes to hear if any one was stirring, but as everything 
was still I thought now was my time to set off, which I did as fast as my 
feet could carry me to the woods. I had no other clothing but my shirt, 
not daring even to put ona pair of mocassins to save my feet, for had 
the family happened to wake they would have instantly come to the door, 
and if they had found me dressed they would not have been at a loss to 
divine my intentions. I never in my life witnessed such a night of rain, 
thunder and lightning. It was so extremely dark and the woods so thick 
and full of briars and thorns, that I was greatly retagded in my progress. 
I could scarcely make more than a mile an hour. I therefore resolved 
