AN INDIAN FIGHT
THIS deion，though found in one of Scott‘s Novels，is a very accurate account of a historical fact.The deliverer was one of the judges of Charles I.and an exile.He was concealed many years at the village here referred to.
1.AMONG my wanderings，the transatlantic settlements have not escaped me；more especially the country of New England，into which our native land has shaken from her lap，as a drunkard flings from him his treasures，so much that is precious in the eyes of God and of his children.There thousands of our best and most godly men；such whose righteousness might come between the Almighty and his wrath，and prevent the ruin of cities；are content to be the inhabitants of the desert，rather encountering the unenlightened savages than stooping to extinguish，under the oppression practiced in Britain，the light that is within their own minds.There I remained for a time，during the wars which the colony maintained with Philip，a great Indian chief，or Sachem，as they were called，who seemed a messenger sent from Satan to buffet them.His cruelty was great，his dissimulation profound，and the skill and promptitude with which he maintained a destructive and desultory warfare，inflicted many dreadful calamities on the settlement.
2.I was，by chance，at a small village in the woods，more than thirty miles from Boston，and in its situation exceedingly lonely，and surrounded with thickets.Nevertheless，there was no idea of any danger from the Indians at that time，for men trusted to the protectionof a considerable body of troops，who had taken the field for the protection of the frontiers，and who lay，or were supposed to lie，betwixt the hamlet and the enemy’s country.But they had to do with a foe，whom the evil one himself had inspired at once with cunning and cruelty.
3.It was on a sabbath morning，when we had assembled to take sweet counsel together in the Lord‘s house.Our temple was but constructed of wooden logs；but when shall the chant of trained hirelings，or the sounding of tin and brass tubes amid the aisles of a minster，arise so sweetly to heaven as did the psalm in which we united at once our voices and our hearts！An excellent worthy，who now sleeps in the Lord，Nehemiah Solsgrace，long the companion of my pilgrimage，had just begun to wrestle in prayer，when a woman，with disordered looks and disheveled hair，entered our chapel in a distracted manner，screaming incessantly，“The Indians！The Indians！”
4.In that land，no man dares separate himself from his means of defense；and whether in the city or in the field，in the plowed land or the forest，men keep beside them their weapons，as did the Jews at the rebuilding of the Temple.So we sallied forth with our guns and pikes，and heard the whoop of these incarnate demons，already in possession of a part of the town，and exercising their cruelty on the few whom weighty causes or indisposition had withheld from public worship；and it was remarked as a judgment，that，upon that bloody sabbath，Adrian Hanson，a Dutchman，a man well enough disposed toward man，but whose mind was altogether given to worldly gain，was shot and scalped as he was summing his weekly gains in his warehouse.In fine，there was much damage done；and although our arrival and entrance into combat did，in some sort.put them back，yet being surprised and confused，and having no appointed leader of our band，the cruel enemy shot hard at us，and had some advantage.
5.It was pitiful to hear the screams of women and children amid the report of guns and the whistling of bullets，mixed with the ferociousyells of these savages，which they term their war-whoop.Several houses in the upper part of the village were soon on fire；and the roaring of the flames，and crackling of the great beams as they blazed，added to the horrible confusion；while the smoke which the wind drove against us gave further advantage to the enemy，who fought，as it were，invisible，and under cover，while we fell fast by their unerring fire.In this state of confusion，and while we were about to adopt the desperate project of evacuating the village，and，placing the women and children in the center，of attempting a retreat to the nearest settlement，it pleased Heaven to send us unexpected assistance.
6.A tall man，of a reverend appearance，whom no one of us had ever seen before，suddenly was in the midst of us，as we hastily agitated the resolution of retreating.His garments were of the skin of the elk，and he wore sword and carried gun.I never saw any thing more august than his features，overshadowed by locks of gray hair，which mingled with a long beard of the same color.“Men and brethren，”he said，in a voice like that which turns back the flight，“why sink your hearts？and why are you thus disquieted？Fear ye that the God we serve will give you up to yonder heathen dogs？Follow me，and you shall see this day that there is a captain in Israel.”He uttered a few brief but distinct orders，in the tone of one who was accustomed to command；and such was the influence of his appearance，his mien，his language，and his presence of mind，that he was implicitly obeyed by men who had never seen him until that moment.
