s in secret
attacks and cunning stratagems; and the idea of braving the terrible
Pequodees in their strongholds, overpowered their resolution. The very
warriors who, only the day before, had boasted of their deeds, now were
crest-fallen, and cried out, 'Sassacus is a God; he is invincible!' and
they deserted in troops, and returned to their own dwellings. Thus the
English found themselves deprived of at least a hundred of their
Narragansett allies. The rest remained with them, as did also the
Mohicans; but their fear of the Pequodees was so great, that Mason could
only employ them as a sort of rear-guard.

Meanwhile, these haughty Indians were exulting in their supposed
security, and indulging in songs and feasting. They believed that the
English were terrified at their strength and reputed numbers, and had
fled from the intended place of landing in Pequod harbor in fear, and
had abandoned their enterprise altogether. They, therefore, amused
themselves with fishing in the bay; and then inviting their allies to
join their revels, they passed the night in vaunting of their own great
actions, and defying the cowardly whites.

We have seen that their assuming arrogance had aroused the jealousy and
hatred of most of the neighboring tribes; but there were still a few
who adhered to their cause, and were willing to unite with them against
the British intruders. Among those, none were more powerful or more
zealous than the Nausetts--that tribe which had so greatly harassed and
annoyed the first settlers at Plymouth, and which still retained the
same feelings of enmity that had then influenced them. The presence of
Henrich among that portion of the tribe that was governed by Tisquantum
had, indeed, secured to himself the respect and regard of almost the
whole community; but it had not weakened the strong prejudice that
they, as well as the main body of their tribe, entertained against his
race, or lessened their ardent desire to rid the land of the powerful
invaders.

Sassacus was well acquainted with the sentiments of his Nausett allies,
and he had lost no time in securing the co-operation of the Sagamore of
the tribe, as soon as he knew that the British troops were preparing to
attack him, and he had, also, dispatched a swift messenger to meet
Tisquantum and his warriors, and entreat them to use all possible
expedition to join him in his own fortress, and assist in defending it
against his enemies.

With the present pos