elt, and fired it at the savage. The ball passed through his arm,
and the tomahawk fell bloodless to the ground. Had it but drunk the
life-blood of Rodolph, Coubitant would have been content to die. But
his foe still lived unharmed; and quickly he saw that three of his own
followers were also severely wounded, and that his party of naked
warriors were altogether incapable of resisting the fierce and well-
sustained attack of their civilized assailants. His only chance of
safety, and of future vengeance, lay in flight; and to that last
resource of a brave spirit he betook himself. He was quickly followed
by all his band, who were dismayed at the sound and the fatal effects
of the British fire-arms and, leaving Squanto behind them, they were
soon concealed from view by the thick underwood of the forest. The
object of the expedition having been attained, Standish did not pursue
the fugitives, but returned in triumph to the settlement, well
satisfied that he had given the Indians a salutary impression of the
decisive conduct, and the powerful measures, that would ever be adopted
by the white men, when their honor was insulted in the slightest
degree.

That such an impression had been made on the red men was soon evident,
from the anxiety which was manifested by several of the neighboring
tribes to be admitted into the semblance, at least, of an alliance with
the mighty strangers. Nine Sachems intimated their desire to
acknowledge themselves the subjects of the white men's king, who dwelt
on the other side of 'the great water'; and a paper was accordingly
drawn up by Captain Standish to that effect, and subscribed with the
uncouth autographs of the copper-colored chieftains. Among these--
strange to say--the mark of Coubitant, who had been raised to the rank
of Sachem by the Narragansetts, was to be seen; but the sincerity of
his friendly professions will be shown hereafter. At present, it suited
him to unite with the other chiefs in their pledge of allegiance to
King James, and of amity towards his British subjects; but he never
openly approached their settlement, or made the slightest advance
towards becoming better acquainted with them. His evil designs slept,
indeed, but they had not expired. They only waited the fitting
opportunity to be as actively pursued as ever.

CHAPTER XII.

'Calm on the bosom of thy God,
Young spirit! rest thee now!
E'en while with us thy footsteps trod
His seat was on thy brow.