leaped in an instant from the litter, and before the Spaniards who had her in charge could recover from their astonishment they saw her flying

through the forest like a deer, followed by two cr three faithful attendants whom she had contrived

to initiate into her plans. Pursuit was obviously useless, and the fugitive was never recovered.

TUSCALOOSA.

Marching slowly on in this way, in the summer of 1540 De Soto came to the river Coosa, the banks of which were very fertile and beautiful, and were inhabited by a very powerful tribe, the chief of which was named Tuscaloosa. De Soto had contrived, soon after entering the valley, to get Tuscaloosa into his hands, and he was now conducting him-half captive and half guest― together with other chieftains similarly situated, who were following in the train of the army, down the river toward Tuscaloosa's capital, a town called Mauvila.

APPROACH TO MAUVILA.

Mauvila, it seems, was quite a considerable town. It contained eight or ten large lodges, each of which was intended for the accommodation of several families. These lodges were quite substantially built, and were covered with thatch. The town was surrounded by an inclosure of stout palisades, consisting of strong posts set firmly into the ground, close together, with loopholes at regu lar intervals for arrows, and openings for gates on

the different sides. In fact, the place was the most important Indian stronghold in all that region.

Tuscaloosa and the other Indians who accompanied De Soto on his march down the river pretended to go with him willingly, and to be on perfectly friendly terms with him. They described to De Soto the situation and strength of the town, and though it was not large enough to allow of the whole army being quartered within the walls, the officers and their personal attendants, they said, together with the most valuable of the baggage, might be taken inside, while the main body of the troops might encamp near by.

This arrangement it was concluded to carry into effect, and the troops moved on, immense numbers of apparently friendly Indians accompanying and following them down the Coosa river to its junction with the Alabama river, and thence down the Alabama toward the town.*

A column of several thousand men is usually separated into several divisions, in advancing through a country not hostile, the divisions marching at some little distance from each other. In this case a large body of Indian burden-bearers,

* See map at the commencement of the next chapter.

loaded with provisions and military stores, and accompanied by a suitable escort, went on in advance, with orders to enter the town when they arrived, and store the baggage in the lodges within. At a short distance behind them came De Soto, with a body of one hundred foot and one hundred horse. Next came more Indians. The remainder of the army, consisting of about seven or eight hundred men, were left to come on by easy marches, as it was not necessary that they should reach the town until the baggage and the vanguard had been disposed of there, and a place of encampment chosen and made ready for the rest.

As the army went on in this way down the valley, and began to draw near the town, De Soto observed certain mysterious movements among the Indians, which excited his suspicions in some degree, but he did not pay much attention to them. Perhaps, situated as he was, there was nothing that he could do effectually to guard against treachery, if treachery were intended. He marched on at the head of his two hundred men until he reached the gates of the town. The Indian bearers had arrived before, and all the baggage had been taken in. As he advanced toward the gates every thing seemed quiet, and he supposed that all was well.

TERRIBLE REVERSE AT MAUVILA.

As soon as De Soto and his troops arrived, the horsemen dismounted, unsaddled the horses, and tied them to the trees. De Soto and his immediate attendants entered the town. The infantry stacked their arms, and the soldiers began to wander about the place, examining the fortifications and such other objects as attracted their attention, when suddenly, at the moment when the whole body were most completely off their guard, there arose one wild and unearthly yell, both from within and without the town, and from the margin of the woods environing it, and the whole body of Indians, who had been so quiet and apparently so harmless a moment before, became transformed in an instant to ferocious combatants, all in a perfect frenzy of rage. Men armed with arrows and javelins seemed to spring up out of the ground. Mu]titudes poured in from the neighboring thickets, and multitudes more sprang up from hiding places within the town, where they had lain concealed. The Spaniards rushed to their horses and to their Before they could get possession of them, however, forty of the horses were killed, and also great numbers of the men.

arms.

It would be impossible to describe the scene of