The Massacre. 289 



to comft down all around me, my senses left me, and I 

 became like one that is dead. 



" ' When I came to myself, I saw the flames of m}^ 

 father's house going up towards the sky, lightin' our 

 clearin' and the woods around, like the daj^ I saw 

 the savages dancin' and yellin' round the burn in' 

 cabin ; and I saw on a pole, held by one of them, the 

 reekin' scalps of my whole kindred, — the black hair 

 of m}^ father, the long tresses of my mother, and the 

 silken locks of my little sisters and brother, — all were 

 there. There was a strano^e feelin' of calm, intense 

 desolation upon me. My senses were all awake as 

 they'd never been before ; I was without hope, as I 

 was without fear ; I seemed to be another and a new 

 being. No mist was before my eyes ; I could look, as 

 it seemed to me, through the war-paint on the faces 

 of the Ingens, and their wild contortions, and see their 

 features, as if they'd been familiar to me for years. I 

 seemed to know 'em all, like I knew people I'd been 

 with every day, though. I'd never seen one of 'em be- 

 fore. I could }dck 'em out among a thousand, and no 

 disguise of wai -paint could prevent my knowin' 'em 

 again. There was eight of "em, and the one that car- 

 ried the pole with the bloody scalps, was taller, nearly 



13 



