1693.] A DRAWN BATTLE. 313 



allies sallied to dislodge them. The attack was 

 fierce, and the resistance equally so. Both sides 

 lost ground by turns. A priest of the mission of 

 the Mountain, named Gay, was in the thick of the 

 fight; and, when he saw his neophytes run, he 

 threw himself before them, crying, " What are 

 you afraid of ? We are fighting with infidels, who 

 have nothing human but the shape. Have you 

 forgotten that the Holy Virgin is our leader and 

 our protector, and that you are subjects of the 

 King of France, whose name makes all Europe 

 tremble ? " * Three times the French renewed 

 the attack in vain ; then gave over the attempt, 

 and lay quiet behind their barricade of trees. So 

 also did their opponents. The morning was dark 

 and stormy, and the driving snow that filled the 

 air made the position doubly dreary. The English 

 were starving. Their slender stock of provisions 

 had been consumed or shared with the Indians, 

 who, on their part, did not want food, having re- 

 sources unknown to their white friends. A group 

 of them squatted about a fire invited Schuyler to 

 share their broth; but his appetite was spoiled 

 when he saw a human hand ladled out of the 

 kettle. His hosts were breakfasting on a dead 

 Frenchman. 



All night the hostile bands, ensconced behind 

 their sylvan ramparts, watched each other in silence. 

 In the morning, an Indian deserter told the Eng- 

 lish commander that the French were packing their 

 baggage. Schuyler sent to reconnoitre, and found 



1 Journal cle Jacques Le Ber, extract in Faillon, Vie de Mile. Le Ber, 

 Appendix. 



