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9 Fusee, s fire.

a watch.

and levelling a fusee9 within a foot of his breast, attempted to discharge lock, a part of it; it missed fire-ineffectually did the intended victim solicit the treatment due to his situation, by repeating that he was a prisoner of war.

13. The degencarate‡ Frenchman did not understand the language of honor or of nature; deaf to their voice and dead to sensibility, he violently and repeatedly pushed the muzzle2 of his gun against Putnam's ribs, and finally gave him a cruel blow on the jaw with the butt of his piece. After which dastare deed he left him.

14. At length the active intrepidity 3 of D'Ell and Harmon, seconded by the persevering valor of their followers, prevailed. They drove from the field the enemy, who left about ninety 'dead behind them. As they were retiring,4 Putnam was untied by the Indian who had made him prisoner, and whom he afterwards called master.

15. Having been conducted for some distance from the place of action, he was stripped of his coat, vest,5 stockings and shoes; loaded with as many packs of the wounded as could be piled upon him, strongly pinioned,6 and his wrists tied as closely together as they could be pulled with a cord.

# Degenerate, a unlike ancestors, unworthy, base.

2 Muzzle, the end or mouth of a gun, spout, kind of a

halter.

3 Intrepidity, bravery, bold ness.

4 Retiring: part retreating, withdrawing.

5 Vest, & &

garment, kind

of a small coat. 6 Pinioned,

part confined by binding the sides, shackled, bound.

elbows to the

16. After he had marched through no pleasant paths, in this painful manner, for many a tedious7 mile, the party (who were excessively fatigued) halted to breathe.

His

hands were now immoderately swel led from the tightness of the ligatures and the pain had become intolerable. His feet were so much scratched that the blood dropped fast from them.

17. Exhausted with bearing a burden above his strength, and frautict with torments exquisite beyond endurance, he entreated the Irish interpreter to implore as the last and only grace he desired of the savages, that they would knock him on the head, and take his scalp,2 at once, or loose his hands.

18. A French officer instantly interposing, 3 ordered his hands to be unbound and some of the packs to be taken off. By this time the Indian who captured him and had been absent with the wounded, coming up, gave him a pair of moccaSo4 and expressed great indignation at the unworthy treatment his prisoner bad suffered.

19. That savage chief again returned to the care of the wounded,‡ rnd the Indians about two hundred In number, went before the rest of the party to the place where the

7Tedious, o tiresome, wea.

risome, dilato. ry, slow.

8 Ligature, any thing dage; the act bound on, ban-. of binding; the state of being bound.

Frantic, a outrageously and turbulently mad; transported by violence of passion. 2 Scalp, s the skin and flesh

on the skull.

3 Interpose, to place between, offer, mediate.

4 Moccason, a

a shoe of soft thin leather without a soal.

having receiv #Wounded, a ed wounds, been hurt

2 Barbari y savageness; in

ty, inhumanity 3 Consummat

whole were, that night to encamp. They took with them major Putnam, on whom (besides innumerable other outrages) they had the barbarity2 to inflict a deep wound with a tomahawk, in the left check. 20. His sufferings were in this civility: cruelplace to be consummated.3 A scene of horror, infinitely greater than had ever met his eyes before, was now preparing. It was determined to roast him alive. For this purpose they led him into a dark forest,4 stripped him naked, bound him to a tree and piled dry brush, with other fucl, at a small distance, in a circle round him.

21. They accompanied their labors, as if for his funeral dirges with screams and howls inimitable6 but by savage voices. Then they set the piles on fire. A sudden shower damped the rising flame. Still they strove to kindle, it until at last, the blaze ran fiercely7 round the circle. Major Putnam soon began to feel the scorching8 heat. His hands were so tied that he could move his body. He often shifted sides as the fire approach

ed.
22. This sight, at the very idea
of which all but savages must shud-
der, afforded the highest diversion
to his inhuman termenters, whe

ed,part.comple ted, fulfilled.

4 Forest, s waste ground, a natural woo

5 Dirge, s a mournful dicy, a song of lamentation.

6 Inimitable, a

above imitation not to be copi.

ed.

7 Fiercely, ad violently, furously. 8 Scorching, part, burning slightly.

+ Gesticula

demonstrated the delirium9 of their 9 Delirium, joy by correspondent yells, dances alienation of and gesticulations. He saw clear- mind, dotage. ly that his final hour was inevita- tions, antick bly 2 come. He summoned all his tricks, various resolution and composed his mind, postures. as far as the circumstances could ad without the 2 Inevitably, admit, to bid an eternal farewell to all he held most dear.

possibility of

an escape.

3 Domestic, a

house:

23. To quit the world would scarcely have cost a single pang but for the idea of home, but for the remembrance of domestic 3 endear- belonging to a ments, of the affectionate partner of his soul, and of their beloved offspring. His thought was u'timately4 fixed on a happier state of existence, beyond the tortures he was beginning to endure.

24. The bitterness5 of death, even of that death which is accompanied with the keenest agonies, was in a manner past-nature with a feeble struggle, was quitting its last hold on sublunary6 things, when a French officer rushed through the crowd, opened a way by scattering the burning brands and unbound the victim. It was Molang himself, to whom a savage, unwilling to see another human sacrifice immolated,8 had run and communicated the tidings.

25. That commandant spurned

4 Ultimately, ad in the last consequence.

5 Bitterness, s a bitter taste, malice, sorrow, grief.

6 Sublunary, a terrestrial, worldly.

8 Immolated, part sacrificed, offered up.

and severely reprimanded9 the barbarians, whose nocturnal powwas he suddenly ended. Putnam did not want for feeling or gratitude. The French commander fearing to trust him alone with them, remained until he could deliver him in safety into the hands of his master.

26. The savage approached his prisoner kindly; and seemed to treat him with particular affection2 He offered him some hard biscuit, but finding he could not chew them, on account of the blow he had received from the Frenchinan, this more humanos savage soaked some of the biscuit in water and made him suck the pulp-like part.

27. Determined, however not to lose his captive, (the refreshment being finished) he took the moccasons from his feet and tied them to one of his wrists; then directing him to lie down on his back upon the bare ground, he stretched one arm to its full length and bound it fast to a young tree; the other arm was extended and bound in the same manner; his legs were stretched apart and fastened to two saplings.4

28. Then a number of tall but slender poles were cut down; which with some long bushes were laid across his body from head to "fuot;

9 Reprimanded part. checked, reproved, rebuked.

+ Deliver, . to give, offer, free,save,relate.

2 Affection, &

love, fondness, zeal, quality, babit.

3 Humane,

tender, compassionate, kind, civil.

4 Saplings, young trees.

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