Butler　in　the　center；　with　a　great　blood…red　handkerchief　tied　around　his　head；　and；　despite　the　forest；　he　noticed　with　a　great　sinking　of　the　heart　how　far　the　hostile　line　extended。　　It　could　wrap　itself　like　a　python　around　the　defense。
  〃It's　a　tale　that　will　soon　be　told；〃　said　Paul。
  They　went　back　swiftly；　and　warned　Colonel　Butler　that　the　enemy　was　at　band。　　Even　as　they　spoke　they　heard　the　loud　wailing　chant　of　Queen　Esther；　and　then　came　the　war　whoop；　pouring　from　a　thousand　throats；　swelling　defiant　and　fierce　like　the　cry　of　a　wounded　beast。　　The　farmers；　the　boys；　and　the　old　men；　most　of　whom　had　never　been　in　battle；　might　well　tremble　at　this　ominous　sound；　so　great　in　volume　and　extending　so　far　into　the　forest。　　But　they　stood　firm；　drawing　themselves　into　a　somewhat　more　compact　body；　and　still　advancing　with　their　banners　flying；　and　the　boy　beating　out　that　steady　roll　on　the　drum。
  The　enemy　now　came　into　full　sight；　and　Colonel　Butler　deployed　his　force　in　line　of　battle；　his　right　resting　on　the　high　bank　of　the　river　and　his　left　against　the　swamp。　　Forward　pressed　the　motley　army　of　the　other　Butler；　he　of　sanguinary　and　cruel　fame；　and　the　bulk　of　his　force　came　into　view；　the　sun　shining　down　on　the　green　uniforms　of　the　English　and　the　naked　brown　bodies　of　the　Iroquois。
  The　American　commander　gave　the　order　to　fire。　　Eager　fingers　were　already　on　the　trigger；　and　a　blaze　of　light　ran　along　the　entire　rank。　　The　Royal　Greens　and　Rangers；　although　replying　with　their　own　fire；　gave　back　before　the　storm　of　bullets；　and　the　Wyoming　men；　with　a　shout　of　triumph；　sprang　forward。　　It　was　always　a　characteristic　of　the　border　settler；　despite　many　disasters　and　a　knowledge　of　Indian　craft　and　cunning；　to　rush　straight　at　his　foe　whenever　he　saw　him。　　His；　unless　a　trained　forest　warrior　himself；　was　a　headlong　bravery；　and　now　this　gallant　little　force　asked　for　nothing　but　to　come　to　close　grips　with　the　enemy。
  The　men　in　the　center　with　〃Indian〃　Butler　gave　back　still　more。　　With　cries　of　victory　the　Wyoming　men　pressed　forward；　firing　rapidly；　and　continuing　to　drive　the　mongrel　white　force。　　The　rifles　were　cracking　rapidly；　and　smoke　arose　over　the　two　lines。　　The　wind　caught　wisps　of　it　and　carried　them　off　down　the　river。
  〃It　goes　better　than　I　thought；〃　said　Paul　as　he　reloaded　his　rifle。
  〃Not　yet；〃　said　Henry；　〃we　are　fighting　the　white　men　only。　　Where　are　all　the　Indians；　who　alone　outnumber　our　men　more　than　two　to　one？〃
  〃Here　they　come；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　pointing　to　the　depths　of　the　swamp；　which　was　supposed　to　protect　the　left　flank　of　the　Wyoming　force。
  The　five　saw　in　the　spaces；　amid　the　briars　and　vines；　scores　of　dark　figures　leaping　over　the　mud；　naked　to　the　breech　cloth；　armed　with　rifle　and　tomahawk；　and　rushing　down　upon　the　unprotected　side　of　their　foe。　　The　swamp　had　been　but　little　obstacle　to　them。
  Henry　and　his　comrades　gave　the　alarm　at　once。　　As　many　as　possible　were　called　off　immediately　from　the　main　body；　but　they　were　not　numerous　enough　to　have　any　effect。　　The　Indians　came　through　the　swamp　in　hundreds　and　hundreds；　and；　as　they　uttered　their　triumphant　yell；　poured　a　terrible　fire　into　the　Wyoming　left　flank。　　The　defenders　were　forced　to　give　ground；　and　the　English　and　Tories　came　on　again。
  The　fire　was　now　deadly　and　of　great　volume。　　The　air　was　filled　with　the　flashing　of　the　rifles。　　The　cloud　of　smoke　grew　heavier；　and　faces；　either　from　heat　or　excitement；　showed　red　through　it。　　The　air　was　filled　with　bullets；　and　the　Wyoming　force　was　being　cut　down　fast；　as　the　fire　of　more　than　a　thousand　rifles　converged　upon　it。
  The　five　at　the　fringe　of　the　swamp　loaded　and　fired　as　fast　as　they　could　at　the　Indian　horde；　but　they　saw　that　it　was　creeping　closer　and　closer；　and　that　the　hail　of　bullets　it　sent　in　was　cutting　away　the　whole　left　flank　of　the　defenders。　　They　saw　the　tall　figure　of　Timmendiquas；　a　very　god　of　war；　leading　on　the　Indians；　with　his　fearless　Wyandots　in　a　close　cluster　around　him。　　Colonel　John　Durkee；　gathering　up　a　force　of　fifty　or　sixty；　charged　straight　at　the　warriors；　but　he　was　killed　by　a　withering　volley；　which　drove　his　men　back。
  Now　occurred　a　fatal　thing；　one　of　those　misconceptions　which　often　decide　the　fate　of　a　battle。　　The　company　of　Captain　Whittlesey；　on　the　extreme　left；　which　was　suffering　most　severely；　was　ordered　to　fall　back。　　The　entire　little　army；　which　was　being　pressed　hard　now；　seeing　the　movement　of　Whittlesey；　began　to　retreat。　　Even　without　the　mistake　it　is　likely　they　would　have　lost　in　the　face　of　such　numbers。
  The　entire　horde　of　Indians；　Tories；　Canadians；　English；　and　renegades；　uttering　a　tremendous　yell；　rushed　forward。　　Colonel　Zebulon　Butler；　seeing　the　crisis；　rode　up　and　down　in　front　of　his　men；　shouting：　〃Don't　leave　me；　my　children！　the　victory　is　ours！〃　Bravely　his　officers　strove　to　stop　the　retreat。　　Every　captain　who　led　a　company　into　action　was　killed。　　Some　of　these　captains　were　but　boys。　　The　men　were　falling　by　dozens。
  All　the　Indians；　by　far　the　most　formidable　part　of　the　invading　force；　were　through　the　swamp　now；　and；　dashing　down　their　unloaded　rifles；　threw　themselves；　tomahawk　in　hand；　upon　the　defense。　　Not　more　than　two　hundred　of　the　Wyoming　men　were　left
  standing；　and　the　impact　of　seven　or　eight　hundred　savage　warriors　was　so　great　that　they　were　hurled　back　in　confusion。　　A　wail　of　grief　and　terror　came　from　the　other　side　of　the　river；　where　a　great　body　of　women　and　children　were　watching　the　fighting。
  〃The　battle's　lost；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；
  〃Beyond　hope　of　saving　it；〃　said　Henry；　〃but；　boys；　we　five　are　alive　yet；　and　we'll　do　our　best　to　help　the　others　protect　the　retreat。〃
  They　kept　under　cover；　fighting　as　calmly　as　they　could　amid　such　a　terrible　scene；　picking　off　warrior　after　warrior；　saving　more　than　one　soldier　ere　the　tomahawk　fell。　　Shif'less　Sol　took　a　shot　at　〃Indian〃　Butler；　but　he　was　too　far　away；　and　the　bullet　missed　him。
  〃I'd　give　five　years　of　my　life　if　he　were　fifty　yards　nearer；〃　exclaimed　the　shiftless　one。
  But　the　invading　force　came　in　between　and　he　did　not　get　another　shot。　　There　was　now　a　terrible　medley；　a　continuous　uproar；　the　crashing　fire　of　hundreds　of　rifles；　the　shouts　of　the　Indians；　and　the　cries　of　the　wounded。　　Over　them　all　hovered　smoke　and　dust；　and　the　air　was　heavy；　too；　with　the　odor　of　burnt　gunpowder。　　The　division　of　old　men　and　very　young　boys　stood　next；　and　the　Indians　were　upon　them；　tomahawk　in　hand；　but　in　the　face　of　terrible　odds　all　bore　themselves　with　a　valor　worthy　of　the　best　of　soldiers。　　Three　fourths　of　them　died　that　day；　before　they　were　driven　back　on　the　fort。
  The　Wyoming　force　was　pushed　away　from　the　edge　of　the　swamp；　which　had　been　some　protection　to　the　left；　and　they　were　now　assailed　from　all　sides　except　that　of　the　river。　　〃Indian〃　Butler　raged　at　the　head　of　his　men；　who　had　been　driven　back　at　first；　and　who　had　been　saved　by　the　Indians。　　Timmendiquas；　in　the　absence　of　Brant；　who　was　not　seen　upon　this　field；　became　by　valor　and　power　of　intellect　the　leader　of　all　the　Indians　for　this　moment。　　The　Iroquois；　although　their　own　fierce　chiefs；　I…Tiokatoo；　Sangerachte；　and　the　others　fought　with　them；　unconsciously　obeyed　him。　　Nor　did　the　fierce　woman；　Queen　Esther；　shirk　the　battle。　　Waving　her　great　tomahawk；　she　was　continually　among　the　warriors；　singing　her　song　of　war　and　death。
  They　were　driven　steadily　back　toward　the　fort；　and　the　little　band　crumbled　away　beneath　the　deadly　fire。　　Soon　none　would　be　left　unless　they　ran　for　their　lives。　　The　five　drew　away　toward　the　forest。　　They　saw　that　the　fort　itself　could　not　hold　out　against　such　a　numerous　and　victorious　foe；　and　they　had　no　mind　to　be　trapped。　　But　their　retreat　was　slow；　and　as　they　went　they　sent　bullet　after　bullet　into　the　Indian　flank。　　Only　a　small　percentage　of　the　Wyoming　force　was　left；　and　it　now　broke。　　Colonel　Butler　and　Colonel　Dennison；　who　were　mounted；　reached　the　fort。　　Some　of　the　men　jumped　into　the　river；　swam　to　the　other　shore　and　escaped。　　Some　swam　to　a　little　island　called　Monocacy；　and　hid；　but　the　Tories　and　Indians　hunted　them　out　and　slew　them。　　One　Tory　found　his　brother　there；　and　killed　him　with　his　own　hand；　a　deed　of　unspeakable　horror　that　is　yet　mentioned　by　the　people　of　that　region。　　A　few　fled　into　the　forest　and　entered　the　fort　at　night。
  CHAPTER　X
  THE　BLOODY　ROCK
  Seeing　that　all　was　lost；　the　five　drew　farther　away　into　the　woods。　　They　were　not　wounded；　yet　their　faces　were　white　despite　the　tan。　　They　had　never　before　looked　upon　so　terrible　a　scene。　　The　Indians；　wild　with　the　excitement　of　a　great　triumph　and　thirsting　for　blood；　were　running　over　the　field　scalping　the　dead；　killing　some　of　the　wounded；　and　saving　others　for　the　worst　of　tortures。　　Nor　were　their　white　allies　one　whit　behind　them。　　They　bore　a　full　part　in　the　merciless　war　upon　the　conquered。　　Timmendiquas；　the　great　Wyandot；　was　the　only　one　to　show　nobility。　　Several　of　the　wounded　he　saved　from　immediate　death；　and　he　tried　to　hold　back　the　frenzied　swarm　of　old　squaws　who　rushed　forward　and　began　to　practice　crueltie