The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-08-19

strike the blow. A dozen musqueteers, with |
twenty-five pikemen, led severally by the
Baron de Bekancourt and the Chevalier de |
Grais, theformer having the chiefcommand
of the expedition, were sentupon this duty,
with Hanyost TO guide them to the village
ofKfodago. Many hours were consumed
upon the march, as the soldiers were not
vet habituated to the wilderness; but just
before dawn on the second day, the party
found themselves in the neighbourhood OF
the indian village.
The place was wrapped in repose, ana
the two cavaliers trusted that the surprise
would be so complete, that their comman-
dant's daughter must certainly be taken.
The baron, after a careful examination of
the hilly passes, determined to head the
onslaught, while his companion in arms,
with Hanyost, to mark out his prey, should
pounce upon the chieftain's wife. This
being arranged, their followers were warn
ed not to injure the female captives while
cutting their defenders to pieces, and then
moment being allowed for each man to
take last look at the condition of his arms,
they were led to the attack.
The inhabitants of the fated village Sc
cure in their isolated situation, aloof from
the war parties of that wild district, had
neglected all precaution against surprise,
and were buried in sleep when the whiz-
zing of grenade, that terrible, but now
superseded engine of destruction, reused
them from their slumbers. The missile, to
which direction had been given that carri-
ed it in direct line through the main row
of wigwams which formed the little street,
went crash among their frail frames Of bask-
etwork, and kindled the dry mats stretched
over them into instant flames. And then as
the startled warriors leaped all naked and
unarmed from their blazing lodges, the
French pikemen, waiting only for volley
| from the musqueteers, followed it up with
charge still more fatal. The wretched
savages were slaughtered like sheep in the
shambles. Some overwhelmed with dis
may sank unresisting upon the ground,
and covering up their heads after the Indian
fashion when resigned to death, awaited the
fatal stroke without murmur; others, seiz-
ed with d less benumbing panic, sohght
safety in flight, and flushed upon the pixies
that lined the forests paths around them.
Many there were, however, who, schooled
to scenes as dreadful, acquitted themselves
as warriors. Snatching their weapons from
the greedy flames, they sprang with ire
sistible fury upon the bristling files of pike
men. Their heavy war-clubs beat down
and splintered the fragile spears of the Eu-
ropeans, whose corselets, ruddy with the
reflected fires amid which they fought,
glinted back still brighter sparks from the
hatthet of flint which crashed against them.
The fierce veterans pealed the charging cry
of many well-fought field in other climes;
but wild and high the Indian whoop rose
shrill above the din of conflict, until the
lowering raven in mid air caught up and
answered the discordant shrek.
De Grais, in the meantime, surveyed the
scene of action with eager intentness,aex-
pecting each moment to see the paIeis fea-
lures of the Christian captive among the
dusky females who ever and anon sprang
shrieking from the blazing lodges. and were
instantly hurried backward into the flames
by fathers and brothers, who even thus
would save them from the hands that vain
ly essayed to grasp their distracted forms.
The Mohawks began now TO wage more
successful resistance, and just when the
fight was raging hottest, and the high spir-
tied Frenchman, beginning to despair ofhis
prey' was about launching into the midst of
of it, he saw a tall warrior who had hitherto
been forward in the conflict, disengage him
self from the melee, and wheeling suddenly
upon soldier, who had likewise separated
from his party, brain him with tomahawk,
before he could make movement in his
Efence. The quick eye of the young chew