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low, whispered that some evil was near; and my mother bidding me lie still with the little ones, went forth in quest of my brother.

"All the servants of the Great Spirit spoke to my mother's ear and eye of danger and death. The moon, as sle sunk behind the hills, appeared a ball of fire: strange lights darted through the air; to my mother's eye they seemed fiery arrows; to her ear the air was filled with deathsighs.

"She had passed the palisade, and was descending the hill, when she met old Cushmakin. "Do you know aught of my boy?" she asked.

"Your boy is safe, and sleeps with his companions; he returned by the Sassafras knoll; that way can only be trodden by the strong-limbed and light-footed."

"My boy is safe," said my mother; "then tell me, for thou art wise, and canst see quite through the dark future, tell me, what evil is coming to our tribe?" She then described the omens she had seen. "I know not," said Cushmakin; "of late darkness hath spread over my soul, and all is black there, as before those eyes, that the arrows of death hath pierced; but tell me, Monoco, what see you now in the fields of heaven?"

"Oh, now," said my mother, "I see nothing but the blue depths and the watching stars. The spirits of the air have ceased their moaning, and steal over my cheek like an infant's breath. The water-spirits are rising, and will soon spread their soft wings around the nest of our tribe." "The boy sleeps safely," muttered the old man, “and I have listened to the idle fear of a doting mother."

"I come not of a fearful race," said my mother. "Nay, that I did not mean," replied Cushmakin; "but the panther watching her young is fearful as a doe." The night was far spent, and my mother bade him go home with her, for our powwows have always a mat in the wig. wam of their chief. "Nay," he said, "the day is near, and I am always abroad at the rising of the sun." It seem ed that the first warm touch of the sun opened the eye of the old man's soul, and he saw again the flushed hills, and the shaded valleys, the sparkling waters, the green maize, and the gray old rocks of our home. They were just pass

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ing the little gate of the palisade, when the old man s dog sprang from him with a fearful bark. A rushing sound was heard. "Owanox! Owanox! (the English! the Eng lish!") cried Cushmakin. My mother joined her voice to his, and in an instant the cry of alarm spread through the wigwams. The enemy were indeed upon us. They had surrounded the palisade, and opened their fire."

"Was it so sudden? Did they so rush on sleeping women and children?" asked Everell, who was unconsciously lending all his interest to the party of the mar

rator.

"Even so; they were guided to us by the traitor We quash; he from whose bloody hand my mother had shielded the captive English maidens-he who had eaten from my father's dish, and slept on his mat. They were flanked by the cowardly Narragansetts, who shrunk from the sight of our tribe-who were pale as white men at the thought of Sassacus, and so feared him that, when his name was spoken, they were like an unstrung bow, and they said, He is all one God-no man can kill him.' These cowardly allies waited for the prey they dared not attack." "Then," said Everell, "as I have heard, our people had all the honour of the fight?"

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"Honour! was it, Everell?-ye shall hear. Our warriors rushed forth to meet the foe; they surrounded the huts of their mothers, wives, sisters, children; they fought as if each man had a hundred lives, and would give each and all to redeem their homes. Oh! the dreadful fray, even now, rings in my ears! Those fearful guns, that we had never heard before-the shouts of your peopleour own battle-yell-the piteous cries of the little children -the groans of our mothers, and, oh! worse-worse thar all-the silence of those that could not speak.-The English fell back; they were driven to the palisade, some beyond it when their leader gave the cry to fire our huts, and led the way to my mother's. Samoset, the noble boy, defended the entrance with a princelike courage, till they struck him down; prostrate and bleeding, he again bent his bow, and had taken deadly aim at the English leader, when a sabre-blow severed his bow-string. Then was taken from our hearth-stone, where the English had been so often

warmed and cherished, the brand to consume our dwellings. They were covered with mats, and burnt like dried straw. The enemy retreated without the palisade. In vain did our warriors fight for a path by which we might escape from the consuming fire; they were beaten back; the fierce element gained on us; the Narragansetts pressed on the English, howling like wolves for their prey Some of our people threw themselves into the midst of the crackling flames, and their courageous souls parted with one shout of triumph; others mounted the palisade, but they were shot, and dropped like a flock of birds smitten by the hunter's arrows. Thus did the strangers destroy, in our own homes, hundreds of our tribe."

"And how did you escape in that dreadful hour, Magawisca ?-you were not then taken prisoners?”

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No; there was a rock at one extremity of our hut, and beneath it a cavity, into which my mother crept, with Oneco, myself, and the two little ones that afterwards perished. Our simple habitations were soon consumed; we heard the foe retiring, and, when the last sound had died away, we came forth to a sight that made us lament to be among the living. The sun was scarce an hour from his rising, and yet in this brief space our homes had vanished The bodies of our people were strewn about the smouldering ruin; and all around the palisade lay the strong and valiant warriors-cold-silent-powerless as the unformed clay."

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Magawisca paused; she was overcome with the recollection of this scene of desolation. She looked upward with an intent gaze, as if she held communion with an invisible being. Spirit of my mother!" burst from her lips" oh! that I could follow thee to that blessed land, where I should no more dread the war-cry, nor the deathknife." Everell dashed the gathering tears from his eyes, and Magawisca proceeded in her narrative.

"While we all stood silent and motionless, we heard footsteps and cheerful voices. They came from my father and Sassacus, and their band, returning from the friendly council. They approached on the side of the hill that was covered with a thicket of oaks, and their ruined homes at once burst upon their view. Oh! what horrid sounds then

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