and the savages prepared to resume their
journey; but not until they had unanimously resolved that the
consequences of the quarrel should be visited upon the head of the
captive. Their apparent good-humour vanished, and the old Piankeshaw,
staggering up, gave Roland to understand, in an oration full of all the
opprobrious epithets he could muster, either in English or Indian, that
he, Piankeshaw, being a very great warrior, intended to carry him to his
country, to run the gauntlet through every village of the nation, and
then to burn him alive, for the satisfaction of the women and children;
and while pouring this agreeable intelligence into the soldier's ears,
the juniors took the opportunity to tie his arms a second time, heaping
on his shoulders their three packs; to which the old man afterwards
insisted on adding the saddle and bridle of the horse, though for no very
ostensible object, together with a huge mass of the flesh, dug with his
knife from the still quivering carcass, which was perhaps designed for
their supper.

Under this heavy load, the unhappy and degraded soldier was compelled to
stagger along with his masters; but fortunately for no long-period. The
night was fast approaching, and having-soon arrived at a little glade in
the forest, where a spring of sweet water bubbled from the grass, they
signified their intention to make it their camping ground for the night.
A fire was struck, the horse flesh stuck upon a fork and roasted, and a
share of it tendered to the prisoner; who, sick at heart and feverish in
body, refused it with as much disgust as he had shown at the whisky,
expressing his desire only to drink of the spring, which he was allowed
to do to his liking.

The savages then collected grass and leaves, with which they spread a
couch under a tree beside their fire; and here, having compelled the
soldier to lie down, they proceeded to secure him for the night with a
cruel care, that showed what value the loss of the horse and fire-water,
the only other trophies of victory, led them to attach to him. A stake
was cut and laid across his breast, and to the ends of this his
outstretched arms were bound at both wrist and elbow. A pole was then
laid upon his body, to the extremities of which his feet and neck were
also bound; so that he was secured as upon, or rather _under_, a cross,
without the power of moving hand or foot. As if even this were not enough
to satisfy his barbarous companions, they att