g of
the glory of suffering for the sake of Christ, they met two young
Indians, one of whom buried his hatchet in Goupil's head. Jogues gave
absolution to his dying friend and then, kneeling calmly, bowed his neck
to the blow {159} which he expected. Instead, he was ordered to get up
and go home.

For a time his life hung on a thread. He would have welcomed death. But
the very indifference to it which he showed was probably the reason why
the Iroquois spared him. Now he led an existence of horrible drudgery.
After a while, as he showed no disposition to escape, he was allowed to
come and go as he pleased. So he went from town to town, teaching and
baptizing whenever he could get a chance. The gangs of prisoners whom
the Iroquois brought home from the Huron country, and whom they almost
invariably burned, furnished him an abundance of subjects to work on.

Once it happened that he went with a party of Indians to a fishing-place
on the Hudson. Thence some of them went up the river to Fort Orange, a
miserable structure of logs, standing within the limits of the present
city of Albany. The Dutch settlers there had heard of Jogues's captivity
and, strenuous Protestants though they were, had striven to secure his
release by offering goods to a large value. Now that he was among them,
they urged him not to return to his captors, but to make his escape,
since his death was certain, if he went back. They offered to smuggle
him {160} on board a vessel that lay in the river and pay his way to
France. He resolved to seize the tempting opportunity.

It would make our story too long if we should tell at length the narrow
escapes that he still experienced before he succeeded in getting away.
At his first attempt to slip away at night, he was severely bitten by a
savage dog belonging to the Dutch farmer with whom he and the Indians
lodged. When he got off he lay two days hidden in the hold of the vessel
that was to carry him away. Then the Indians came out and so frightened
its officers that he was sent ashore and put under the care of a miserly
old fellow who ate the most of the food that was provided for Jogues.
While he was hidden in this man's garret he was within a few feet of
Indians who came there to trade. Finally the Dutch satisfied the Indians
by paying a large ransom and shipped Jogues down the river. He received
nothing but kindness from the Dutch everywhere and, on his arrival at
Manhattan (New York), was