Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/407

 the North American Indians.

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��He digged them up, fcalped them, burned their bodies to aflies, and went home in fafety with fingular triumph. Other purfuing enemies came on the evening of the fecond day to the camp of their dead people, when the fight gave them a greater fhock, than they had ever known be fore. In their chilled war council, they concluded, that, as he had done fuch furprifing things in his defence, before he was captivated, and fince that, in his naked condition, and was now well armed, if they continued the purfuit, he would fpoil them all, for he furely was an enemy wizard. And therefore they returned home.

When the Chikkafah were engaged in a former war with the Mufkohge, one of their young warriors fet off" alone againft them> to revenge the blood of a near relation : his burning heart would not allow him to delay its gratifica tion, and proceed with a company, after their ufual forms of purification were obferved, in order to gain fuccefs. He was replete with martial fire, and re venge prompted him to outrun his war virtue : however, hepurfued as mor tifying a regimen, as if he had been publicly fed like a dove, by the fcanty hand of a religious waiter. But, as he would not wait a few days, and accom pany the reputed holy ark, they reckoned him irreligious, by depending on the power of his own arms, inftead of the powerful arm of the fupreme fa therly chieftain, To He Wah^ who always beftows viflory on the more virtu ous party. He went through the mod unfrequented and thick parts of the woods, as fuch a dangerous enterprife required, till he arrived oppofite to the great, and old beloved town of refuge, Koofah, which (lands high on the eaftern fide of a bold river, about 250 yards broad, that runs by the late dangerous Alebahma fort, down to the black poifoning Mobille, and fo into the gulph of Mexico. There he concealed himfelf under cover of the top of a fallen pine tree, in view of the ford of the old trading path, where the enemy now and then paffed the river in their light poplar canoes. All his war (lore of provifions confided in three (lands of barbicued venifon, till he had an opportunity to revenge blood, and return home. He waited j with watchftilneis and patience almoft three days, when a young man, a womani and a girl pafled a little wide of him, about an hour before fun- fet. The former he mot down, tomohawked the other two, and fcalped each of them in a trice, in full view of the town. By way of bravado, ^e fhaked the fcalps before them, founded the "awful death whoop, and

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