The head itself had fallen forward, and a little on one shoulder.
The corporal had escaped the torments reserved for him, by this
friendly blow.
It was so much a matter of course for an Indian to revenge his own
wounds--to alleviate his smarts, by retaliating on those who
inflicted them--that the chiefs expressed neither surprise nor
resentment at the manner of the corporal's death. There was some
disappointment, it is true; but no anger was manifested, since it
was supposed that some one of those whom the prisoner had wounded
had seen fit, in this mode, to revenge his own hurts. In this,
however, the Indians deceived themselves. The well-intentioned and
deadly shot that saved the corporal from hours of agony came from
the friendly hand of Pigeonswing, who had no sooner discharged his
rifle than he stole away through the thicket, and was never
discovered. This he did, too, at the expense of Ungque's scalp, on
which he had set his heart.
As for the Indians, perceiving that their hopes of forcing a captive
to confess his weakness were frustrated, they conferred together on
the course of future proceedings. There was an inquiry for Peter,
but Peter was not to be found.
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