216 ISAAC JOGUES. [1642. 



Jogues and his companions. The Hurois in the 

 rear were seized with a shameful panic. They 

 leaped ashore ; left canoes, baggage, and weapons ; 

 and fled into the woods. The French and tlie 

 Christian Hurons made fight for a time ; but when 

 they saw another fleet of canoes approaching from 

 the opposite shores or islands, they lost heart, and 

 those escaped who could. Goupil was seized amid 

 triumphant yells, as were also several of the Huron 

 converts. Jogues sprang into the bulrushes, and 

 might have escaped ; but when he saw Goupil and 

 the neophytes in the clutches of the Iroquois, he 

 had no heart to abandon them, but came out from 

 his hiding-place, and gave himself up to the aston- 

 ished victors. A few of them had remained to 

 guard the prisoners ; the rest were chasing the 

 fugitives. Jogues mastered his agony, and began 

 to baptize those of the captive converts who needed 

 baptism. 



Couture had eluded pursuit ; but when he 

 thought of Jogues and of what perhaps awaited 

 him, he resolved to share his fate, and, turning, 

 retraced his steps. As he approached, ^ye Iro- 

 quois ran forward to meet him ; and one of them 

 snapped his gun at his breast, but it missed fire. In 

 his confusion and excitement. Couture fired his own 

 piece, and laid the savage dead. The remaining 

 four sprang upon him, stripped off all his clothing, 

 tore away his finger-nails with their teeth, gnawed 

 his fingers with the fury of famished dogs, and 

 thrust a sword through one of his hands. Jogues 

 broke from his guards, and, rushing to his friend, 



