Page:Surprising life and sufferings of Peter Williamson.pdf/3

 willingly go with them, and be contented with their ways of living. This I seemingly agreed to, trusting to Providence for the time when I might be delivered out of their hands. Upon this they untied me, and gave me a great load to carry on my back, under which I travelled all that night with them, oppressed with the greatest anxiety of mind, lest my unhappy wife should have fallen a prey to these cruel monsters. At day-break, my infernal masters ordered me to lay down my load, when tying my hands again round a tree with a small cord, they forced the blood out of my finger ends. They then kindled a fire near the tree whereto I was bound, which filled me with the most dreadful agonies concluding I was going to be made a sacrifice to their barbarity.

However, they for some time danced round me after their manner, with various odd motions and antic gestures, whooping, holloaing, and crying in a frightful manner, as it is their custom. Having satisfied themselves in this sort of mirth, they proceeded in a more tragical manner, taking the burning coals and sticks flaming with fire at the ends, holding them near any face, head, hands, and feet, with a deal of monstrous pleasure and satisfaction; and at the same time threatning to burn me entirely, if I made the least noise, or cried out. Thus tortured as I was, almost to death, I suffered their brutal pleasure without being allowed to vent my inexpressible anguish otherwise than by shedding silent tears.

their guns, by rushing on their enemies and fracturing or cleaving their skulls with it, and very seldom fail of killing at the very first blow.

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