INDIAN BARBARITY. 149 



vigour burning with hatred, and lusting for revenge. 

 Each of our rifles did its work upon the assassins, and 

 I brained a third with my tomahawk. The remainder 

 fled, while we hastened to the burning house. The 

 door was closed, fastened on the outside. In a 

 moment I burst it from its hinges, and rushed into 

 the room through fire and smoke. In front of the 

 window I tripped over a body. Clasping it in my 

 arms, I attempted to regain the door. Smothered 

 with smoke, and gasping for breath, I should have 

 failed, but that the hand of the stalwart old man 

 drew me and my burden into the open air. It was 

 an act of Providence ; for, with half a minute's delay, 

 my rescue would have been impossible, the air 

 admitted through the shattered door immediately 

 afterwards causing the whole building to burst into 

 flames. 



' More stunned than hurt, I soon revived ; but, be- 

 lieve me, if at that moment I had had a choice between 

 life and death, the latter would have been preferred, 

 for my wife was dead. A rifle-bullet had pierced 

 her heart, and another had penetrated her head, fear- 

 fully disfiguring a face which my eye had never 

 rested upon without deeming it more perfect than 

 even imagination could conceive. 



' That night was the most bitter I ever spent. 

 I had been so little familiarised with death, that I 

 felt almost as if deprived of reason. I appealed 

 to Heaven, and disputed its justice in depriving 

 me of her I loved. The old father, bowed down 



