Chapter 33
"Theyfought,likebravemen,longandwell,
TheypiledthatgroundwithMoslemslain,
Theyconquered—butBozzarisfell,
Bleedingateveryvein.
Hisfewsurvivingcomradessaw
Hissmilewhenrangtheirproudhurrah,
Andtheredfieldwaswon;
Thensawindeathhiseyelidsclose
Calmly,astoanight’srepose,
Likeflowersatsetofsun."
Halleck.
ThesunfoundtheLenape,onthesucceedingday,anationofmourners.Thesoundsofthebattlewereover,andtheyhadfedfattheirancientgrudge,andhadavengedtheirrecentquarrelwiththeMengwe,bythedestructionofawholecommunity.TheblackandmurkyatmospherethatfloatedaroundthespotwheretheHuronshadencamped,sufficientlyannounced,ofitself,thefateofthatwanderingtribe;whilehundredsofravens,thatstruggledabovethebleaksummitsofthemountains,orswept,innoisyflocks,acrossthewiderangesofthewoods,furnishedafrightfuldirectiontothesceneofthecombat.Inshort,anyeye,atallpractisedinthesignsofafrontierwarfare,mighteasilyhavetracedallthoseunerringevidencesoftheruthlessresultswhichattendanIndianvengeance.
Still,thesunroseontheLenapeanationofmourners.Noshoutsofsuccess,nosongsoftriumph,wereheard,inrejoicingsfortheirvictory.Thelateststragglerhadreturnedfromhisfellemployment,onlytostriphimselfoftheterrificemblemsofhisbloodycalling,andtojoininthelamentationsofhiscountrymen,asastrickenpeople.