HISTORY OF VERMONT. 173 



and horror into the feelings of those, on whom 

 the attack is made. The Indians immediately 

 come forwaj-d, and begin the scene of outrage 

 and death. All is then a scene of fury, impetu- 

 osity, and vengeance. So great is the rage of 

 the savage, that he has no regard to discipline, 

 subordination, and order. Revenge, takes an 

 entire possession of his soul : Forgetful of all 

 order, regardless of discipline and danger, he 

 aims only to butcher and destroy. If the In- 

 dians remain masters of the field, they always 

 strip and scalp the dead. Leaving the bodies of 

 their enemies, naked, unburied, and often man- 

 gled, they carry oiF the plunder and scalps ; and 

 make a very swift and sudden retreat. Upon 

 their approach to their own tribe, a herald is 

 sent forward to announce the event : the tribe 

 is collected, and the conquerors make their en- 

 try with their ensigns of triumph : the scalps 

 stretched upon a bow, and elevated upon a pole, 

 are carried before them, as the tokens of their 

 valour and success, and monuments of the ven* 

 geance they have inflicted upon the enemies of 

 their country. 



The prisoners which they have taken, make 

 an important part of their triumph. The sava- 

 ges are anxious to take as many of these as pos- 

 sible. During their march, they arc generally 

 treated with a degree of humanity and kindness ; 

 but the greatest care is taken to prevent their 

 escape. When they arrive at the place df their 

 destination, the old men, women, and children 

 of the Indian tribe, form themselves into two 

 lines, through which the prisoners must run the 

 gantlet to the village. If the prisoner is young, 



VOL. I, X 



