Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/397

 the North American Indians. 385

but if the warring nations are contiguous to each other, the invading party generally chufes to out-number a common company, that they may ftrike the blow with greater fafety and fuccefs, as their art of war is chiefly kil ling by furprife ; confident that in cafe of a difappointment, their light heels will enfure their return to their own country. When a fmall company go to war, they always chufe to have a fwamp along fide of them, with a thick covert for their fhelter, becaufe a fuperior num ber will fcarcely purfue them where they might reafonably expeft to lofe any of their warriors. When they arrive at the enemies hunting ground, they aft with the greateft caution and policy. They feparate them- felves, as far as each can hear the other's travelling fignal, which is the mimicking fuch birds and beafts as frequent the fpot. And they can ex actly imitate the voice and found of every quadruped and wild fowl through the American woods. In this way of travelling, they ufually keep an hundred yards apart on the courfe agreed upon at camp. When the leader thinks it the fureft way of fucceeding againfl the enemy, he fends a few of the beft runners to form an ambufcade near their towns : there, they fometimes fix the broad hoofs of buffalos, and bear's paws upon their feet, to delude the enemy : and they will for miles together, make all the windings of thefe beafts with the greateft art. But, as both parties are extremely wary and fagacious, I have known fuch arts to prove fatal to the delu- ders. At other times, a numerous company will walk in three different rows, by way of a decoy, every one lifting his feet fo high, as not to beat down the grafs or herbage ; and each row will make only one man's track, by taking the Heps of him who went before, and a gigantic fellow takes the rear of each rank, and thereby fmooths the tracks with his feet. When they are convinced the enemy is in purfuit of them, at fo confiderable a distance from the country, as for themfelves not to be over-powered by numbers, they poft themfelves in the moft convenient place, in the form of an half-moon, and patiently wait a whole day and night, till the enemy runs into it, and in fuch a cafe, the victory at one broad-fide is ufually gained.

When they difcover the tracks of enemies in their hunting ground, -or in the remote woods, it is furprifing to fee the caution and art they ufe, both to fecure themfelves, and take advantage of the enemy. If a fmall company be out at war, they in the day time crawl through

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