Radisson and
Ragueneau seemed simultaneously to have noticed the same thing.
Without any signal, at about four in the afternoon, the Onondagas
steered their canoes for a wooded island in the middle of the St.
Lawrence. With Radisson were three Iroquois and a Huron. As the canoe
grated shore, the bowman loaded his musket and sprang into the thicket.
Naturally, the Huron turned to gaze after the disappearing hunter.
Instantly, the Onondaga standing directly behind buried his hatchet in
the Huron's head. The victim fell quivering across Radisson's feet and
was hacked to pieces by the other Iroquois. Not far along the shore
from Radisson, the priest was landing. He noticed an Iroquois chief
approach a Christian Huron girl. If the Huron had not been a convert,
she might have saved her life by becoming one of the chief's many
slaves; but she had repulsed the Onondaga pagan. As Ragueneau looked,
the girl fell dead with her skull split by the chief's war-axe. The
Hurons on the lake now knew what awaited them; and a cry of terror
arose from the children. Then a silence of numb horror settled over
the incoming canoes. The women were driven ashore like lambs before
wolves; but the valiant Hurons would not die without striking one blow
at their inveterate and treacherous enemies. They threw themselves
together back to back, prepared to fight. For a moment this show of
resistance drove off the Iroquois. Then the Onondaga chieftain rushed
forward, protesting that the two murders had been a personal quarrel.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67