Chapter 21

"Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone,
And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him;
But nothing he'll reck, if they'll let him sleep on,
In the grave where a Briton has laid him."

Charles Wolfe, "The Burial of Sir John Moore," vi.

The reader must imagine the horror that daughters would experience,
at unexpectedly beholding the shocking spectacle that was placed
before the eyes of Judith and Esther, as related in the close of
the last chapter. We shall pass over the first emotions, the first
acts of filial piety, and proceed with the narrative by imagining
rather than relating most of the revolting features of the scene.
The mutilated and ragged head was bound up, the unseemly blood was
wiped from the face of the sufferer, the other appliances required
by appearances and care were resorted to, and there was time to
enquire into the more serious circumstances of the case. The facts
were never known until years later in all their details, simple as
they were, but they may as well be related here, as it can be done
in a few words. In the struggle with the Hurons, Hutter had been
stabbed by the knife of the old warrior, who had used the discretion
to remove the arms of every one but himself. Being hard pushed by
his sturdy foe, his knife had settled the matter. This occurred
just as the door was opened, and Hurry burst out upon the platform,
as has been previously related. This was the secret of neither
party's having appeared in the subsequent struggle; Hutter having
been literally disabled, and his conqueror being ashamed to be
seen with the traces of blood about him, after having used so many
injunctions to convince his young warriors of the necessity of
taking their prisoners alive. When the three Hurons returned from
the chase, and it was determined to abandon the castle and join the
party on the land, Hutter was simply scalped to secure the usual
trophy, and was left to die by inches, as has been done in a
thousand similar instances by the ruthless warriors of this part
of the American continent. Had the injury of Hutter been confined
to his head, he might have recovered, however, for it was the
blow of the knife that proved mortal. There are moments of vivid
consciousness, when the stern justice of God stands forth in colours
so prominent as to defy any attempts to veil them from the sight,
however unpleasant they may appear, or however anxious we may be
to avoid recognising it. Such was now the fact with Judith and
Hetty, who both perceived the decrees of a retributive Providence,
in the manner of their father's suffering, as a punishment for his
own recent attempts on the Iroquois. This was seen and felt by
Judith with the keenness of perception and sensibility