f the village were soon on
fire; and the roaring of the flames, and crackling of the great beams as
they blazed, added to the horrible confusion; while the smoke which the
wind drove against us gave farther advantage to the enemy, who fought
as it were, invisible, and under cover, whilst we fell fast by their
unerring fire. In this state of confusion, and while we were about to
adopt the desperate project of evacuating the village, and, placing the
women and children in the centre, of attempting a retreat to the nearest
settlement, it pleased Heaven to send us unexpected assistance. A tall
man, of a reverend appearance, whom no one of us had ever seen before,
suddenly was in the midst of us, as we hastily agitated the resolution
of retreating. His garments were of the skin of the elk, and he wore
sword and carried gun; I never saw anything more august than his
features, overshadowed by locks of grey hair, which mingled with a long
beard of the same colour. 'Men and brethren,' he said, in a voice like
that which turns back the flight, 'why sink your hearts? and why are
you thus disquieted? Fear ye that the God we serve will give you up to
yonder heathen dogs? Follow me, and you shall see this day that there is
a captain in Israel!' He uttered a few brief but distinct orders, in a
tone of one who was accustomed to command; and such was the influence of
his appearance, his mien, his language, and his presence of mind,
that he was implicitly obeyed by men who had never seen him until that
moment. We were hastily divided, by his orders, into two bodies; one of
which maintained the defence of the village with more courage than ever,
convinced that the Unknown was sent by God to our rescue. At his command
they assumed the best and most sheltered positions for exchanging their
deadly fire with the Indians; while, under cover of the smoke, the
stranger sallied from the town, at the head of the other division of the
New England men, and, fetching a circuit, attacked the Red Warriors
in the rear. The surprise, as is usual amongst savages, had complete
effect; for they doubted not that they were assailed in their turn, and
placed betwixt two hostile parties by the return of a detachment from
the provincial army. The heathens fled in confusion, abandoning the
half-won village, and leaving behind them such a number of their
warriors, that the tribe hath never recovered its loss. Never shall I
forget the figure of our venerable leader,