LANCASTER COFNTT. 285 



should produce war with the Enghsh who were ^etthng 

 the country below the mountams. 



"Zinzendorf was alone m his tent, seated upon a bun- 

 dle of dry weeds, which composed his bed, and engaged 

 in writing, when the assassins approached to execute their 

 bloody mission. It was night, and the cool air of Sep- 

 tember had rendered a small fire necessary to his comfort 

 and convenience. A curtain formed of a blanket and 

 hung upon pins was the only guard to the entrance of 

 his tent. The heat of his small fire had roused a large 

 rattlesnake which lay in the weeds not far from it ; and 

 the reptile, to enjoy it more effectually, crawled slowly 

 into the tent and passed over one of his legs undis- 

 covered. Without, all was still and quiet, except the 

 gentle murmur of the river at the rapids, a mile below. 

 At this moment, the Indians softly approached the door 

 of his tent, and slightly removed tlie curtain, contem- 

 plated the venerable man too deeply engaged in the 

 subject of his thoughts to notice either their approach, 

 or the snake which lay extended before him. At a sight 

 like this, even the heart of the savage shrunk from the 

 idea of committing so horrid an act, and quitting the 

 spot, tliey hastily returned to the town and informed 

 their companions that the Great Spirit protected the 

 white man, for they had found him with no door but a 

 blanket,, and had seen a large rattlesnalvc crawl over his. 

 legs without attempting to injure him. This circum- 

 stance, together with the arrival soon afterwards of 

 Conrad Weiser, procured Zinzendorf the friendship and 

 confidence of the Indians.''*' After spending twenty 

 days at Wyoming, he returned to Bethlehem. 



The Indians had been so repeatedly duped that their 

 suspicions were nearly as often excited as those of the 



♦Chapman's His. of "Wyoming. 



