April.] 



THE INDIANS DEFEATED. 



205 



again to the saddle, and we charged the astonished foe with such 

 resistless fury as bore down all before us. Seven Indians, besides the 

 chief, fell by our muskets ; and the new leader who now assumed 

 the command seemed determined to single me out as the mark 

 of his vengeance. He retreated a little space, then wheeling his 

 horse, rode towards me at full speed, brandishing in his right hand a 

 long pointed javelin of hard wood, which he aimed at my breast, as 

 our horses rushed past each other, I fortunately parried the blow, and 

 wheeling on his rear complimented him with a cut across the right 

 shoulder that nearly penetrated to the pap. He fell to the ground, 

 and was able to rise no more. 



At this moment I received an arrow in my right thigh, while three 

 others were planted in the left side of my gallant steed, one of which 

 had reached his heart, and he fell to the ground, with one of my legs 

 erushed beneath him, in such a manner that it was some time before I 

 could extricate myself, which I at length effected, rising under a 

 shower of arrows. I now attempted to take the horse of the leader 

 whom I had just put hors du combat, and who was still holding the bridle 

 in his left hand. Just as I was mounting this animal, five of the most 

 ferocious of the enemy started for me at full speed, and would doubt- 

 less have sent me after their two leaders, had not three of my friends 

 perceived my danger, and darted to my rescue. They reached me 

 just in time to cut down three of the assailants, while I had as much 

 business as I could attend to in amusing the other two, one of whom 

 fell under his horse, and the other was glad to make his escape to the 

 forest. 



Several of my brave comrades had by this time received a number 

 of severe wounds from the flint-headed arrows of the enemy, and the 

 horse of my friend and interpreter was killed under him by a wooden 

 lance or spear like that which had threatened my own life. He fortu- 

 nately succeeded, however, in catching a fallen Indian's horse, which 

 he instantly mounted, and returned to the charge. By this time the 

 enemy had drawn off within short arrow distance, and commenced firing 

 a shower of those sharp-pointed missiles among us. From the first 

 volley one of our party received a wound in the thigh ; another arrow 

 severely tickled my left leg, while a third penetrated the collar of my 

 coat. We soon became convinced that our only safety depended upon 

 close quarters ; we therefore made another desperate charge on the 

 bloodthirsty wretches, who maintained their ground inch by inch, with 

 a valour worthy of a better cause. Their countenances became more 

 and more ferocious as they felt the sharp edges of our sabres ; and as 

 their cause began to assume an aspect of hopelessness, their horrid 

 yells of rage and disappointment were truly diabolical 



In a few minutes we cut down four of them, when the survivors 

 thought it the best policy to make a precipitate retreat, at the same 

 time turning back in their saddles, to deliver their arrows as they 

 departed, in order to deter pursuit. They might have dispensed with 

 this ceremony, however, for we felt no disposition to follow them, being 

 as glad to get rid of them as they could be to escape from us. A 

 number of them must have carried away some " mortal gashes" on 



