THE MASSACRE. 289 



to come 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 my 

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

 clearin' and the woods around, like the day. I saw 

 the savages dancin' and yellin' round the burnin' 

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

 reekin' scalps of my whole kindred, the black hair 

 of my father, the long tresses of my mother, and the 

 silken locks of my little sisters and brother, all were 

 there. There was a strange 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 pick 'em out among a thousand, and n 

 disguise of war-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 



