of heroes strengthened by the sentiment of duty, the love of country and
faith in a happy future. Futile efforts! The bullets made terrible havoc
in their ranks, and they recoiled again, carrying with them only the
assurance that their numbers had not paralyzed the courage of the
French.

But the aspect of things was about to change, owing to the cowardice of
the Hurons. Water failed the besieged tortured by thirst; they made
sorties from time to time to procure some, and could bring back in their
small and insufficient vessels only a few drops, obtained at the
greatest peril. The Iroquois, aware of this fact, profited by it in
order to offer life and pardon to the Indians who would go over to their
side. No more was necessary to persuade the Hurons, and suddenly thirty
of them followed La Mouche, the nephew of the Huron chief, and leaped
over the palisades. The brave Anahotaha fired a pistol shot at his
nephew, but missed him. The Algonquins remained faithful, and died
bravely at their post. The Iroquois learned through these deserters the
real number of those who were resisting them so boldly; they then took
an oath to die to the last man rather than renounce victory, rather than
cast thus an everlasting opprobrium on their nation. The bravest made a
sort of shield with fagots tied together, and, placing themselves in
front of their comrades, hurled themselves upon the palisades,
attempting to tear them up. The supreme moment of the struggle has come;
Dollard is aware of it. While his brothers in arms make frightful gaps
in the ranks of the savages by well-directed shots, he loads with grape
shot a musket which is to explode as it falls, and hurls it with all his
might. Unhappily, the branch of a tree stays the passage of the terrible
engine of destruction, which falls back upon the French and makes a
bloody gap among them. "Surrender!" cries La Mouche to Anahotaha. "I
have given my word to the French, I shall die with them," replies the