But they would not
hear of that, but sent that message to Boston, that for twenty pounds I
should be redeemed. It was a Praying Indian that wrote their letter
for them. There was another Praying Indian, who told me, that he had
a brother, that would not eat horse; his conscience was so tender
and scrupulous (though as large as hell, for the destruction of poor
Christians). Then he said, he read that Scripture to him, "There was a
famine in Samaria, and behold they besieged it, until an ass's head was
sold for four-score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of
dove's dung for five pieces of silver" (2 Kings 6.25). He expounded this
place to his brother, and showed him that it was lawful to eat that in a
famine which is not at another time. And now, says he, he will eat horse
with any Indian of them all. There was another Praying Indian, who when
he had done all the mischief that he could, betrayed his own father into
the English hands, thereby to purchase his own life. Another Praying
Indian was at Sudbury fight, though, as he deserved, he was afterward
hanged for it. There was another Praying Indian, so wicked and cruel,
as to wear a string about his neck, strung with Christians' fingers.
Another Praying Indian, when they went to Sudbury fight, went with them,
and his squaw also with him, with her papoose at her back. Before they
went to that fight they got a company together to pow-wow. The manner
was as followeth: there was one that kneeled upon a deerskin, with the
company round him in a ring who kneeled, and striking upon the ground
with their hands, and with sticks, and muttering or humming with their
mouths. Besides him who kneeled in the ring, there also stood one with
a gun in his hand. Then he on the deerskin made a speech, and all
manifested assent to it; and so they did many times together. Then they
bade him with the gun go out of the ring, which he did. But when he was
out, they called him in again; but he seemed to make a stand; then they
called the more earnestly, till he returned again. Then they all sang.
Then they gave him two guns, in either hand one. And so he on the
deerskin began again; and at the end of every sentence in his speaking,
they all assented, humming or muttering with their mouths, and striking
upon the ground with their hands. Then they bade him with the two guns
go out of the ring again; which he did, a little way. Then they called
him in again, but he made a stand. So they c