"Kill him not, for your lives!--I command you, men, kill
him not!" muttered Captain Blessington with suppressed
passion, as his troops were preparing to immolate him on
their clustering bayonets. "Such a death were, indeed,
mercy to such a villain."
"Ha! ha!" laughed Wacousta in bitter scorn; "who is there
of all your accursed regiment who will dare to take him
alive?" Then brandishing his tomahawk around him, to
prevent their finally closing, he dealt his blows with
such astonishing velocity, that no unguarded point was
left about his person; and more than one soldier was
brought to the earth in the course of the unequal struggle."
"By G--d!" said Captain Erskine, "are the two best
companies of the regiment to be kept at bay by a single
desperado? Shame on ye, fellows! If his hands are too
many for you, lay him by the heels."
This ruse was practised with success. In attempting to
defend himself from the attack of those who sought to
throw him down, the warrior necessarily left his upper
person exposed; when advantage was taken to close with
him and deprive him of the play of his arms.
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