lled or carried off as
prisoners, after which the Indians turned back, and having again
reached Little Creek encamped there and gave themselves up for the day
to celebrate their victory with their usual savage rites, and to
indulge their greedy thirst for the fatal fire-water of their enemies.
But the New Englanders had not been idly weeping over their
misfortunes. Hastily collecting every man who could bear a musket,
they followed up their retiring foes and came upon them in the midst of
their drunken carouse. Burning with the desire of revenge, and
infuriated by their recent bereavement of all they held most dear, they
fell upon the almost unresisting Indians and massacred them to the last
man. Then they in their turn retreated to rebuild their ruined
homesteads and mourn over the dead. Some stragglers of the party had
told all this to the fugitives from Little Creek, and Pritchard had
ventured back to the place to make sure and report to the rest whether
the coast was really clear for them to come back again. Such was the
border warfare of those days.

The travellers now abandoned their intention of going further that
night, as Pritchard urgently pressed them not to leave him there alone,
and Isidore indeed was hardly in a condition to continue the journey.
The house had not been plundered, so Pritchard was able to offer them
what they needed in the way both of rest and refreshment. When their
frugal meal was over it was arranged that each of them should keep
watch in turn. There was indeed no likelihood that any one would come
near the spot, or that they would be molested in any way, nevertheless
there was something in the awful solitude of the place that seemed to
create a feeling of insecurity. The first watch fell to Pritchard's
lot, and Boulanger took the second. Isidore thought he had only just
dozed off when the guide awoke him, and told him that it was his turn.

"Why, it is still daylight," said he, rubbing his eyes, "unless
indeed---- You do not mean to say it is morning?" he added, half
vexed, as the thought arose in his mind that the Canadian had
compassionately allowed him to sleep on beyond this time.

"Monsieur is less used to the forest than we are," replied Boulanger,
good-humouredly. "I had one spell of sleep to begin with, and another
hour's rest will set me up for a week to come." So saying he stopped
all further discussion by stretching himself on the floor, and
apparently dropping