ions to surprise the inhabitants. The people
of Deerfield were wholly unconscious of the danger from the approach of
the French raiders. Although the place had a rude garrison this force
was ineffective, since it had little or no discipline. On this
particular night even the sentries seem to have found their patrol duty
within the palisades of the village so uncomfortable, in the bitter
night air, that they had betaken themselves to bed.

Parkman has described the next step:

Rouville and his men, savage with hunger, lay shivering under the pines
till about two hours before dawn; then, leaving their packs and their
snow-shoes behind, they moved cautiously towards their prey. There was
a crust on the snow strong enough to bear their weight, though not to
prevent a rustling noise, as it crunched under the weight of so many
men. It is said that from time to time Rouville commanded a halt, in
order {6} that the sentinels, if such there were, might mistake the
distant sound for rising and falling gusts of wind. In any case, no
alarm was given till they had mounted the palisade and dropped silently
into the unconscious village. Then with one accord they screeched the
war-whoop, and assailed the doors of the houses with axes and hatchets.

The surprised villagers, awakened out of their sleep to find a howling
force of French and Indians in their midst, hastily barricaded their
doors, and fought desperately with any weapons they could snatch up.
In some cases the defenders succeeded in keeping the enemy at bay; but
others were not so successful. The French and the Indians, hacked
openings in the doors and the windows of some of the houses, and
through these shot down the inmates. Finally, when day broke, the
French had gained possession of most of the village. Then they
collected their prisoners and drove them out to their camp in the
forest. A few burned houses, a score or so of dead bodies, not only of
men but of helpless women and children, and a crowd of shivering
prisoners, some of whom were butchered by the way, were the evidences
of this inglorious victory.

{7}

From the plunder of the houses the victors obtained some provisions
which helped to feed their party on the long homeward journey. Before
noon of the following day they had started northward again, driving
their captives before them through the deep snow. The mid-winter tramp
through the wilderness proved extremely trying to both the French