hat distance to the southward of it, the
sail being lowered. Judith and Hetty had now discovered that something
was wrong, and were stationary a thousand feet farther north.

All this while the furious struggle continued within the house. In
scenes like these, events thicken in less time than they can be related.
From the moment when the first fall was heard within the building to
that when the Delaware ceased his awkward attempts to row, it might have
been three or four minutes, but it had evidently served to weaken the
combatants. The oaths and execrations of Hurry were no longer heard, and
even the struggles had lost some of their force and fury. Nevertheless
they still continued with unabated perseverance. At this instant the
door flew open, and the fight was transferred to the platform, the light
and the open air. A Huron had undone the fastenings of the door, and
three or four of his tribe rushed after him upon the narrow space, as
if glad to escape from some terrible scene within. The body of another
followed, pitched headlong through the door with terrific violence. Then
March appeared, raging like a lion at bay, and for an instant freed from
his numerous enemies. Hutter was already a captive and bound. There was
now a pause in the struggle, which resembled a lull in a tempest. The
necessity of breathing was common to all, and the combatants stood
watching each other, like mastiffs that have been driven from their
holds, and are waiting for a favorable opportunity of renewing them. We
shall profit by this pause to relate the manner in which the Indians had
obtained possession of the castle, and this the more willingly because
it may be necessary to explain to the reader why a conflict which
had been so close and fierce, should have also been so comparatively
bloodless.

Rivenoak and his companion, particularly the latter who had appeared to
be a subordinate and occupied solely with his raft, had made the closest
observations in their visits to the castle. Even the boy had brought
away minute and valuable information. By these means the Hurons obtained
a general idea of the manner in which the place was constructed and
secured, as well as of details that enabled them to act intelligently in
the dark. Notwithstanding the care that Hutter had taken to drop the Ark
on the east side of the building when he was in the act of transferring
the furniture from the former to the latter, he had been watched in a
way to ren