152 DENONVILLE AND THE SEXECAS. [1687. 



of the defile. The woods were still dense on their 

 left and front ; but on their right lay a great marsh, 

 covered with alder thickets and rank grass. Sud- 

 denly the air was filled with yells, and a rapid 

 though distant fire was opened from the thickets 

 and the forest. Scores of painted savages, stark 

 naked, some armed with swords and some with 

 hatchets, leaped screeching from their ambuscade, 

 and rushed against the van. Almost at the same 

 moment a burst of whoops and firing sounded in 

 the defile behind. It was the ambushed three 

 hundred supporting the onset of their countrymen 

 in front ; but they had made a fatal mistake. De- 

 ceived by the numbers of the vanguard, they sup- 

 posed it to be the whole army, never suspecting 

 that Denonville was close behind with sixteen hun- 

 dred men. It was a surprise on both sides. So 

 dense was the forest that the advancing battalions 

 could see neither the enemy nor each other. Ap- 

 palled by the din of whoops and firing, redoubled 

 by the echoes of the narrow valley, the whole army 

 was seized with something like a panic. Some of 

 the officers, it is said, threw themselves on the 

 ground in their fright. There were a few moments 

 of intense bewilderment. The various corps be- 

 came broken and confused, and moved hither and 

 thither without knowing why. Denonville be- 

 haved with great courage. He ran, sword in hand, 

 to where the uproar was greatest, ordered the 

 drums to beat the charge, turned back the militia 

 of Berthier who were trying to escape, and com- 

 manded them and all others whom he met to fire 



