The Mohegan Maiden — page 37: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE OLD CANNON SPEAKS. B9 of the party—bring out the cannon. Point it through yon- der gap in the palisades, and give its contents to the red ras- Cals on the other side. Meantime, we'll be fighting the Skunks who haye gained an entrance.” The two men indicated hastened for the cannon, wonder- ing that they had not thought of it before. It was near at hand, and having been loaded for the occasion a week before, it required but to be primed and rolled to the place desig- nated, This was speedily done, for the two men saw that the crit- ical moment wag at hand. The Narragansetts were near the Palisades, and should they succeed in breaking through, even the coolness, skill and valor of their strange leader might not Suffice to save them. | The unwieldy weapon was placed in position, trained upon _ the thickest of the savage horde approaching, and then fire Was communicated by the discharge of a pistol, for want of & better match. ©The effect was electrical. | The old weapon had been stuffed to the muzzle with bul- lets, scraps of iron, grayel-stones, and. what might most ‘se- Yerely damage human life and limb. At. the report, the old von fairly raised from the earth, and sprung backward with terrible force, sending its heavy charge of deathly messengers “Yashing among the skulking Narragansetts. Dreadful was the slaughter. A gap was cut through the leart of the almost successful assailants, and nearly one-half Of their number sunk dead or wounded upon the earth. The Temainder, utterly abashed by the loud report and deadly Slaughter which followed, stole away into the woods from Which they had emerged, defeated, and crushed in spirit. “This way, men; here is work for you!’ shouted the Stanger, as he saw that their presence was no longer needed ‘\t the palisades. “ Come on!” They followed him, and found that the band which had followed him to conflict, with those already in the town, had Suffered considerably. But the power of the Indians was broken, and they, too, had begun to withdraw. The vigor- us rush of the fresh forces, at the proper moment, completed their destruction, Those who remained, fled in the utmost Confusion, leaping the palisades as the opening they had made cComicbooks.COn