of their reach, it will be necessary to revert to the
first entrance of the chiefs into the fort. The fall of
Ponteac had been the effect of design; and the yell pealed
forth by him, on recovering his feet, as if in taunting
reply to the laugh of his comrades, was in reality a
signal intended for the guidance of the Indians without.
These, now following up their game with increasing spirit,
at once changed the direction of their line, bringing
the ball nearer to the fort. In their eagerness to effect
this object, they had overlooked the gradual secession
of the unarmed troops, spectators of their sport from
the ramparts, until scarcely more than twenty stragglers
were left. As they neared the gate, the squaws broke up
their several groups, and, forming a line on either hand
of the road leading to the drawbridge, appeared to separate
solely with a view not to impede the action of the players.
For an instant a dense group collected around the ball,
which had been driven to within a hundred yards of the
gate, and fifty hurdles were crossed in their endeavours
to secure it, when the warrior, who formed the solitary
exception to the multitude, in his blanket covering, and
who had been lingering in the extreme rear of the party,
came rapidly up to the spot where the well-affected
struggle was maintained. At his approach, the hurdles of
the other players were withdrawn, when, at a single blow
from his powerful arm, the ball was seen flying into the
air in an oblique direction, and was for a moment lost
altogether to the view. When it again met the eye, it
was descending perpendicularly into the very centre of
the fort.