Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/275

 An Account of the Mu/kohge Nation. 263

tifoal, by reafon of the fecure fituation of the town. A few therefore entered the houfe, with a fpecious pretence, and intercepted them from the fire-arms, which lay on a rack, on the front of the chimney \ they inftantly feized them, and as they were loaded with large fhot, they killed thofe two valuable and intrepid men, and left them on^ the fire but if they had been a few minutes fore-warned of the danger, their lives would have coft the whole town very dear, unlefs they had kindled the houfe with- fire- arrows.

Like peftilential vapours driven by whirlwinds, the mifchievous fa vages endeavoured to bring defolation- on the innocent objects of their fury, wherever they came : but the different flights of the trading people, as well as their own expertnefs in the woods, and their connections with the Indians, both by marriage and other ties of friendfhip, difap- pointed the accomplifhment of the main point of the French diabolical fcheme of dipping them all over in blood. By fundry means, a con-< fiderable number of our people met at the friendly houfe of the old Wolf-King, two miles from the Akbahma Fort, where that faithful- ftern chieftain treated them with the greateft kindnefs. But,, as the whole nation was diftracted, and the neighbouring towns were devoted to the French intereft, he found that by having no fortrefs, and only forty warriors in his town, he was unable to protect the refugees. In order therefore to keep good faith with his friends, who put themfelves un der his protection, he told them their fituation, fnpplied thofe of them with arms and ammunition who chanced to have none, and conveyed them into a contiguous thick fwamp, as their only place of fecurity for that time;. " which their own valour, he faid,.he was fure would maintain, both againft the French, and their mad friends." He was not miftaken in his favour able opinion of their war abilities, for they ranged themfelves fo well, thac the enemy found it impracticable to attack them, without fuftaining far greater lofs than they are known to hazard. He fupplied them with necef- faries, and fent them fafe at length to a friendly town, at a confiderable diftance, where they joined feveral other traders, from different places* and were foon after fafely- efcorted to Savanah,

It is- furprifmg how thofe hardy men evaded the dangers they were fur- raunded with, efpecially at the beginning, and with fo little lofs. One of

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