tered the village, dressed in their
Indian costume, the entire dissimilarity in their appearance at once
excited attention, and they became the subjects of general
conversation among the villagers. At Long Meadow the lads remained for
several years, and are represented as having made "remarkably good
proficiency in school learning," as exhibiting strong proofs of
virtuous and pious dispositions, and as "likely to make useful
missionaries among the heathen." This encomium seems, however, to have
been much more applicable to Eleazar than his companion; for, after
the most persistent attempts, it was found impossible to cultivate the
mind of John, whose passion for savage life was irrepressible, and who
returned home to live and die among the Indians. With Eleazar it was
different, and his biographer proudly records that he was called
familiarly "the plausible boy."

He was as versatile as he was plausible, and in the course of his long
life played many parts besides that of Louis XVII. When he had
forgotten the early lessons of the wigwam, and had acquired the
learning and religious enthusiasm of the New Englanders, he became a
sort of wandering gospel-preacher among the Indians; but the work was
little suited to him, and he found far more congenial employment when
the war broke out between England and America, as superintendent-general
of the Northern Indian Department on the United States side.
In this office "he had under his command the whole secret corps
of rangers and scouts of the army, who spread themselves
everywhere, and freely entered in and out of the enemy's camp." In
other words, he was a sort of chief spy; and if he had been caught in
the British lines would have had a very short shrift, notwithstanding
his sanctimonious utterances, and the peculiarly sensitive conscience
of which he made a perpetual boast. About the same time he was
declared a chief of the Iroquis nation, under the name of
Onwarenhiiaki, or the tree cutter--a compliment little likely to have
been paid to an unknown man, but which would not unreasonably be
bestowed upon the son of a famous chief. Having received a severe
wound he was nursed back into life by his reputed father, and on his
complete recovery expressed his contrition for his backsliding, and
his horror of the bloodthirsty trade of war, and returned to the
peaceful work of attempting to teach and convert his dusky Indian
brethren. He deserted the Congregationalists with whom h