THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 365 



assailed, he had caused the huts to be fired. Three 

 practised marksmen were posted at a short distance 

 from the council wigwam, for the express purpose of 

 shooting the young Mexican chief, whom Lafitte justly 

 deemed the most formidable of his opponents. The 

 pirate himself, with a party of picked men, pressed 

 forward to the Miko's dwelling, surrounded it, and 

 seized its two inmates. Tokeah, usually so abstemi- 

 ous, had probably upon this festive occasion over- 

 stepped the bounds of sobriety, and he fell unresist- 

 ing into the hands of his foe. So well arranged, 

 indeed, and rapid had all the movements been, that 

 the first call to arms had hardly died away when the 

 Miko and Eosa were in the power of the buccaneers. 

 Lafitte then formed his men into a small square, and 

 retreated steadily but in double-quick time towards 

 the shore. Not an Indian was to be seen. The 

 little phalanx was already in the neighbourhood of 

 the creek, and at only a few yards from the picket ; 

 another dozen paces and they would be in their boats, 

 which a very few strokes of the oar would send into 

 the middle of the stream, and out of bullet-range. 

 A pursuit by canoes, in which each Indian would 

 offer an easy mark, was not to be thought of. Such 

 had been the pirate's calculation, and his plans 

 seemed likely to be crowned with complete success. 

 He was within a step of the shore, when suddenly 

 there was a movement in the bushes immediately 

 opposite to him, and glimpses were caught of the 



