122 THE VENGEANCE OF UNCAS. 



chief. At the time of the arrival of the English in the country, 

 he was in rebellion against Sassacus, prince of the nation, 

 and this circumstance no doubt contributed to make him the 

 early friend and ally of the whites. 



Miantonimoh, in the prosecution of his ambitious schemes, 

 had hired a Pequod, one of the warriors of Uncas, to murder 

 his chief. The traitor succeeded in shooting Uncas through 

 the arm, and then taking refuge among the Narragansetts, 

 proclaimed, through all the Indian towns, the death of Uncas. 

 But when it was discovered that the sachem was only wounded, 

 Miantonimoh, to screen himself, contrived a story by which 

 it was made to appear that Uncas had cut his arm with a flint, 

 with the insiduous design of unjustly accusing the Pequod 

 warrior. The suspected Indian, however, having soon after 

 visited Boston in company with the Narragansett chief, was 

 subjected to so severe an examination by the magistrates that 

 no doubt remained of his guilt. Miantonimoh, pretending to 

 be convinced of his treachery, pleaded hard to have the 

 assassin delivered up to him, promising to send him to Uncas 

 immediately upon his return. The Governor accordingly 

 confiding in this promise, suffered him to go unmolested, and 

 two days after, while on their homeward journey, Mianto- 

 nimoh murdered the Pequod, in order to prevent his disclosure 

 of the sachem's designs. 



'&' 



But little time elapsed before Miantonimoh, without pro- 

 claiming war, or affording Uncas the least intimation of his 

 designs, raised an army of a thousand men, and set out 



