Iroquois behold the
strangely-clad allies of their hereditary enemies.

Not until they stood face to face, ready for the battle-cry,
did the Algonquin ranks open, and the white men advance
before the astonished gaze of the Iroquois. Never before had
they set eyes on such an apparition, and they stood in mute
wonder while Champlain raised his arquebuse, took aim at a
chief, and fired. The chief fell dead. A warrior by his side
fell wounded in the bushes. As the report rang through the
air a frightful yell came from the allies, and in an instant
their arrows were whizzing thickly through the ranks of
their foes. For a moment the Iroquois stood their ground and
returned arrow for arrow. But when from the two flanks of
their adversaries came new reports, and other warriors bit
the dust, their courage gave way to panic terror, and they
turned and fled in wild haste through the forest, swiftly
pursued by the triumphant Algonquins.

Several of the Iroquois were killed. A number were captured.
At night the victors camped in triumph on the field of
battle, torturing one of their captives till Champlain
begged to put him out of pain, and sent a bullet through his
heart.

Thus ended the first battle between whites and Indians on
the soil of the northern United States, in a victory for
which the French were to pay dearly in future days, at the
hands of their now vanquished foes. With the dawn of the
next day the victors began their retreat. A few days of
rapid paddling brought them to the Richelieu. Here they
separated, the Hurons and Algonquins returning to their
homes by way of the Ottowa, the Montagnais, who dwelt in the
vicinity of Quebec, accompanying Champlain to his new-built
city.

The Iroquois, however, were not the men to be quelled by a
single defeat. In June of the ensuing year a war-party of
them advanced to the mouth of the Richelieu, and a second
fierce battle took place. As another vivid example of the
character of Indian warfare, the story of this conflict, may
be added to that already given.

On an island in the St. Lawrence near the mouth of the
Richelieu was gathered a horde of Montagnais Indians,
Champlain and others of the whites being with them. A
war-party of Algonquins was expected, and busy preparations
were being made for feast and dance, in order that they
might be received with due honor. In the midst of this
festal activity an event occurred that suddenly changed
thoughts of peace to thos