lower tribe, burning with the
ardour of youth, and ambitious to signalize himself by some act of
heroic daring, boasted that, notwithstanding what had happened, he
would bring a deer from the hunting-grounds to the north of where the
great river broke through the mountains. Accordingly, he set out
alone in one of the light canoes which are used by Indians, on his
way up the river. He landed on the east bank, at the distance of a
boy's walk of half a sun above the Cascade of Melsingah, and after no
long search had killed a deer, dragged the animal to the canoe, and
put off from the shore. So far he had made good his boast, and was
busily employed in picturing to himself the glory that awaited him on
his return, the loud praises of the men, and the silent, though more
eloquent ones of the maidens, when his dreams were put to flight by
the sudden coming upon him of his fierce and cunning enemies. His
motions had been observed, and he had not yet gained the middle of the
river, when a canoe, in which were five northern Indians, made its
appearance, coming round the extremity of a woody peninsula, that
projected with its steep bold shores far into the water. Immediately
one of them bent his bow, and, raising it to his eye, levelled it in
the direction of the young Mohegan; but another, who seemed to be the
leader of the party, placed his hand deliberately on the arrow, which
was immediately laid down, and an oar taken up in its place. A single
glance served to show the warrior that they were all well armed, and
that his only chance of escape lay in reaching the shore before them,
and trusting to the swiftness of his feet to effect his escape. He
therefore plied his oar with great diligence, and his canoe shot
rapidly over the water, but his enemies were gaining fast upon him,
and it was now evident that they must overtake him before he could
reach the land. In an instant he had leaped into the water, and
disappeared; but his pursuers were too well aware of his object to
slacken their exertions, and held on their way towards the shore. When
he rose again to the surface, their canoe was at no great distance.
Two of the strongest of them plunged into the river; one of them,
swimming with exceeding swiftness, soon overtook him, and seized him
by the hair of the head. A desperate, but brief struggle ensued, in
which both combatants went down. In a moment afterwards, the young
warrior re-appeared without his antagonist, who was see