nd fort. The
beleaguered Iroquois replied with as fierce a shout, and
with a better-aimed shower of arrows. At least Champlain had
reason to think so, for one of these stone-headed darts
split his ear, and tore a furrow through the muscles of his
neck. One of his men received a similar wound.

Furious with pain, Champlain, secure in his steel armor,
rushed to the woodland fort, followed by his men, and
discharged their arquebuses through its crevices upon the
dismayed savages within, who, wild with terror at this new
and deadly weapon, flung themselves flat upon the earth at
each report.

At each moment the scene of war grew more animated. The
assailing Indians, yelling in triumph, ran up under cover of
their large wooden shields, and began to tug at the trees of
the barricade, while other of them gathered thickly in the
bushes for the final onset. And now, from the forest depths,
came hurrying to the scene a new party of French allies,--a
boat's crew of fur-traders, who had heard the firing and
flown with warlike eagerness to take part in the fight.

The bullets of these new assailants added to the terror of
the Iroquois. They writhed and darted to and fro to escape
the leaden missiles that tore through their frail barricade.
At a signal from Champlain the allies rushed from their
leafy covert, flew to the breastwork, tore down or clambered
over the boughs, and precipitated themselves into the fort,
while the French ceased their firing and led a party of
Indians to the assault on the opposite side.

The howls of defiance, screams of pain, deafening
war-whoops, and dull sound of deadly blows were now
redoubled. Many of the Iroquois stood their ground, hewing
with tomahawks and war-clubs, and dying not unrevenged. Some
leaped the barrier and were killed by the crowd outside;
others sprang into the river and were drowned; of them all
not one escaped, and at the end of the conflict but fifteen
remained alive, prisoners in the hands of their deadly foes,
destined victims of torture and flame.

On the next day a large party of Hurons arrived, and heard
with envy the story of the fight, in which they were too
late to take part. The forest and river shore were crowded
with Indian huts. Hundreds of warriors assembled, who spent
the day in wild war-dances and songs, then loaded their
canoes and paddled away in triumph to their homes, without a
thought of following up their success and striking yet
heavier blows upon