as if worn out and trying to
get away. Therefore he crossed, near the Pawtucket Falls, in glad
pursuit--and "no sooner was he upon the western side, than the warriors
of Nanuntenoo, like an avalanche from a mountain, rushed down upon him;
nor striving for coverts from which to fight, more than their foes,
fought them face to face with the most determined bravery!"

There were Narragansetts still upon the east side of the river, also,
to cut off retreat. The captain, fighting desperately, with his men
ranged in two ranks back to back, sent a runner to Providence, only six
or eight miles, for assistance; but so quickly was the work done, by
Canonchet, that of all the English force, only one Englishman escaped,
and not above a dozen of the scouts.

"Captain Peirse was slain, and forty and nine English with him, and
eight (or more) Indians who did assist the English."

Canonchet lost one hundred and forty, but it was a great victory, well
planned and well executed. Captain Peirse had been a leader in the
storming of the Narragansett fort at Sunke-Squaw, the last winter; that
is one reason why the Canonchet warriors fought so ravenously, to take
revenge.

On the day after the dreadful battle, from Connecticut, southwest,
there marched a larger force of English and friendly Indians, to close
the red trail of the Sachem Canonchet. He was feared as much as King
Philip was feared.

Canonchet did not proceed against Plymouth. With thirty volunteers he
had set out south for the Mount Hope region itself, in order to gather
seed corn. The abandoned fields of the English along the Connecticut
River waited. They ought to be planted to Indian corn.

On his way back to the Connecticut River with his seed corn, near the
close of the first week in April he made camp almost upon the very
battle ground above Providence, where yet the soil was stained by the
blood of March 26.

He did not know that now the enemy were upon his trail indeed; but at
the moment a company of fifty English under Captain George Denison of
Southerton, Connecticut, and eighty Indians--the Mohegans led by Chief
Oneka, son of Uncas, the Pequots by Cas-sa-sin-na-mon, the Niantics
(formerly allies of the Narragansetts) by Cat-a-pa-zet--were drawing
near.

Three other companies were in the neighborhood.

This day Canonchet was lying in his blanket, telling to a party of
seven warriors the story of the battleground. The other warriors were
scattered th