Part 15 (1/2)

May these upon his virtues dwell, And in his fate forget his crimes!”

The as now virtually at an end Still there were h the wilderness in a state of utter desperation; they knew that to surrender dooh they were unable to wage any effective warfare, they could desolate the settlements with murders and with terrible depredations

A few days after the death of King Philip, intelligence was brought to Plymouth that Annawan, Philip's chief captain, athe woods with a band of warriors in the vicinity of Rehoboth and Swanzey, and doing great mischief

Annaas now co Indian forces

His death or capture was accordingly esteeathered around him a band of his enthusiastic troops They were so devoted to their successful commander that they declared their readiness to follow hi as an Indian was left in the woods They i the Pocasset shore Not finding any Indians, they crossed the ar to spend the next day, which was the Sabbath, there in religious rest Early the next er informed the captain that a canoe filled with Indians had been seen passing from Prudence Island to the west side of Bristol, which was then called Poppasquash Neck Captain Church, thinking that theseto join the band of Annawan, resolved i his troops but in two or three frail birch canoes He crossed hiale increased to such severity, and hove up such a tuer pass

Captain Church now found himself upon Bristol Neck with but sixteen Indian allies around hi nearly all of his English soldiers, were upon Rhode Island, and cut off fro him Still, the intrepid captain adopted the resolve to htnuo unaccolish soldiers; finally, however, they consented Skulking through almost impenetrable thickets, they came to a salt meadow just north of the present town of Bristol It was now night, and though they had heard the report of two guns in the woods, they had met no Indians A part of their company, who had been sent out on a skulk, had not returned, and great anxiety was felt lest they had fallen into an aht was dark, and cold, and dreary They had not a morsel of bread, and no food to cook; they did not dare to build a fire, as the flary and solitary, the hours of the night lingered sloay In the earliest dawn of theextraordinary story, which proved to be true They said that they had not advanced far when they discovered two Indians at a distance approaching them upon one horse The scouts immediately hid in the brush in parallel lines at a little distance from each other

One of the Indians then stationed himself as a decoy, and howled like a wolf The two Indians i fro to see as there The cunning Indian, howling lower and lower, drew hi in wait for hied hi that his cos of the wolf, also left his horse, and soon experienced the same fate

The two captives they then exaree in the story that there were eight more Indians who had come with them into the Neck in search of provisions, and that they had all agreed toThe two captives chanced to be for party He told the stories of the bravery of Captain Church, and of the advantages of fighting with hiabond prisoners were in a very favorable condition to be influenced by such suggestions They heartily joined their victors, and aided in entrapping their unsuspecting coht were soon found, and, by a continuance of the saem, were all secured All these men immediately co-operated with Captain Church's co friends In this perhaps they were to be co before them but misery, starvation, and death in the wilderness, while there was at least food and life with Captain Church

With their band thus strengthened there was less fear of surprise A horse was killed, roaring fires built, and the Indians, roasting the meat upon wooden spits, exulted for a few hours in a feast of steaks which, to them at least, were savory and delicious The Indians usually carried salt in their pockets: with this alone they seasoned their horse-flesh As there was not a morsel of bread to be obtained, Captain Church had no better fare than his savage coood-hu themselves with a sufficient supply for the day, they couidance of the captives, to the place where they had left their women and children All were surprised and captured But no one could tell where Annaas to be found All agreed in the declaration that he was continually roving about, never sleeping twice in the same place

One of the Indian prisoners entreated Captain Church to pero into a swamp, about fourwife He pro that heAnnawan, decided to go with hilish the rest to remain where they were until his return, he set out upon this enterprise

When they arrived on the borders of the swamp, the Indian was sent forward in search of his father Pretty soon they heard a loling, which was pro howl at a distance

At length they saw an old un upon his shoulder, and followed by a young Indian girl, his daughter

Concealing themselves on each side of the narrow trail, Captain Church's party awaited their approach, and seized the them with terrible punishment if they deceived hireed that they had been lately in Annawan's camp; that he had with him about sixty Indians, and that he was at but a few miles'

distance, in Squannaconk Swaet there to-night?” inquired Captain Church ”If you set out immediately,” the old Indian replied, ”and travel stoutly, you can reach there by sunset”

Just then the young Indian who had been in search of his father returned with his father and another Indian Captain Church was now inin pursuit of Annawan before the wary savage should remove to other quarters He had, however, but half a dozen er back to acquaint those who had been left of his design

Collecting his little band together, he inquired if they were ready to go with him to endeavor to take Annawan The enterprise appeared to the to obey your commands But Annawan is a renowned and veteran warrior He served under Pometaco this war He is a very subtle y, and has often said that he would never be taken alive by the English Moreover, the warriors who are with him are very resolute men We therefore fear that it would be impossible to take him with so small a band We should but throay our lives”

Still, Captain Church, relying upon his own inexhaustible resources, and upon the well-known despondency and despair of the Indians, resolved to go, and with a feords roused the enthusias Indian, with his father and the young squaw, back to the camp, while he took the other old iven me my life,” said the Indian, ”and it is etically they co off with treet so far in advance that the party would lose sight of hiht easily have escaped had he wished to do so Just as the sun was setting, the old man made a full stop and sat down The rest of the co very weary, and sat down around him

”At this hour,” said the old man, ”Annawan always sends out his scouts We must conceal ourselves here until after dark, when the scouts will have returned”

As soon as the darkness of night had settled over the forest, the old ain rose to resume the un and fight for us?”

The faithful guide bowed very low, and nobly said, ”I pray you not to iht Annawan,with you and be helpful to you, and will lay hands on any loom of the wilderness it was now very dark, and all kept close together, andSoon they heard a noise as of a wo corn All stopped and listened

They had arrived at Annawan's retreat Captain Church, with one Englishman and half a dozen Indians, most of whom had been taken captive that very day, were about to attack one of the fiercest and most redoubtable of Philip's chieftains, surrounded by sixty of his tribe, many of ere soldiers of a hundred battles Drake, in his Book of the Indians, gives the following description of this noted place:

”It is situated in the southeasterly corner of Rehoboth, about eight miles from Taunton Green, a few rods from the road which leads to Providence, and on the southeasterly side of it If a straight line were drawn from Taunton to Providence, it would pass very nearly over this place

Within the limits of an immense swamp of nearly three thousand acres there is a small piece of upland, separated from the main only by a brook, which in some seasons is dry