enemies, the Hurons, could procure fire-arms from the French, whereas
they had not any. But the Dutch traders on the Hudson soon began to sell
guns to the Iroquois; and thus one of the first effects of the coming of
white men into the wilderness was to equip these two savage races for a
deadlier warfare.

The next summer Champlain had another opportunity of taking a hand in a
fight between Indians. A canoe came with the exciting news that, a few
miles away in the woods, a band of Algonquins had surrounded an invading
party of Iroquois who were making a desperate stand within an inclosure
of trees. His Indians snatched their weapons and raced for the scene,
shouting to Champlain to follow, but leaving him and four of his men to
find their way as best they could. They were soon lost in the dense
woods. The day was hot, and the air was full of mosquitoes. The
Frenchmen struggled on through black mud and knee-deep water and over
fallen trees and slimy logs, panting under their heavy corselets; but not
a sound could they hear to guide them to the spot.

At last two Indians running to the fight {132} overtook them and led them
to the place where the Iroquois, within a circular barricade of trees and
interlaced boughs, were fighting savagely. They had beaten off their
assailants with heavy loss. When the Frenchmen came up, they received a
flight of well-aimed arrows from the desperate defenders. One split
Champlain's ear and tore through the muscles of his neck. Another
inflicted a similar wound on one of his men. The Indians, seeing the
Europeans' heads and breasts covered with steel, had aimed at their
faces. But fire-arms soon changed the situation. The Frenchmen ran up
close to the barricade, thrust their weapons through the openings, and
poured dismay and death among the defenders. The Indian assailants, too,
encouraged by this example, rushed in and dragged out the trees of the
barricade. At the same time a boat's crew of fur-traders, who had been
attracted by the firing, rushed upon the scene and used their guns with
deadly effect.

The Iroquois, surrounded and overwhelmed by numbers, fought to the last.
The most were killed on the spot. Only fifteen survived and were taken
prisoners. Thus the fiercest warriors of North America experienced a
second disaster {133} which could not but result in deepening their
hatred of the French. These early successes of Champlain were dearly
paid for by his country