I had been too absorbed to use my eyes, but now I saw that a captive
was lying near my feet. He was closely tied on two pieces of rough
wood shaped like a St. Andrew's cross, and was a hideous sight with his
tongue protruding and his eyes beginning to glaze. Dogs were
scrambling and tearing at him, and I edged nearer and tried to drive
them away. I examined him as closely as I dared, and judged by the
dressing of his long hair that he was a Miami. In that case the war
party must have come from the south by way of the Ohio and the Illinois
country, and they were probably working their way north to reach
Michillimackinac on its unguarded side. I saw it was a war party, for
there were no women with them, and the Iroquois carry their families on
all hunting trips.
I looked at the dying man and wished for my knife. So they tortured
Indian captives while they let me, a Frenchman, go lightly bound.
Well, my turn was yet to come. My white skin probably gave me
importance enough so that I would be referred to the council. I would
not look ahead. I would plan for the moment, and open eyes and ears.
There were many captives, I saw now, and my anxiety for Leclerc and
Labarthe grew keen.
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