admittance within the troops, who had rapidly executed
the manoeuvre commanded. Not so with Mitchell and his
companions. On the first alarm they had quitted the body
of the mutilated officer, and flown to secure their arms,
but even while in the act of stooping to take them up,
they had been grappled by a powerful and vindictive foe;
and the first thing they beheld on regaining their upright
position was a dusky Indian at the side, and a gleaming
tomahawk flashing rapidly round the head of each.

"Fire not, on your lives," exclaimed Captain Erskine
hastily, as he saw several of the men in front levelling,
in the excitement of the moment, their muskets at the
threatening savages. "Prepare for attack," he pursued;
and in the next instant each man dropped on his right
knee, and a barrier of bristling bayonets seemed to rise
from the very bowels of the earth. Attracted by the
novelty of the sight, the bold and daring warriors,
although still retaining their firm grasp of the unhappy
soldiers, were for a moment diverted from their bloody
purpose, and temporarily suspended the quick and rotatory
motion of their weapons. Captain Erskine took advantage
of this pause to seize the halbert of one of his sergeants,
to the extreme point of which he hastily attached a white
pocket handkerchief, that was loosely thrust into the
breast of his uniform; this he waved on high three several
times, and then relinquishing the halbert, dropped also
on his knee within the square.

"The dog of a Saganaw asks for mercy," said a voice from