He pointed out to the notice of the minister a member of his party as one of the messengers who had brought this alarming intelligence.
He was a tall, lean man, with straight, lank, sandy hair, cut evenly all around his narrow forehead, and hanging down so as to remind one of Smollett's apt similitude of "a pound of candles." "What news do you bring us of the savages ?" inquired Mr.Ward.
"The people have sinned, and the heathen are the instruments whereby the Lord hath willed to chastise them," said the messenger, with that peculiar nasal inflection of voice, so characteristic of the "unco' guid." "The great sachem, Miantonimo, chief of the Narragansetts, hath plotted to cut off the Lord's people, just after the time of harvest, to slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children." "How have ye known this ?" asked the minister.
"Even as Paul knew of those who had bound themselves together with a grievous oath to destroy him.

The Lord hath done it.

One of the bloody heathens was dreadfully gored by the oxen of our people, and, being in great bodily pain and tribulation thereat, he sent for Governor Haines, and told him that the Englishman's god was angry with him for concealing the plot to kill his people, and had sent the Englishman's cow to kill him." "Truly a marvellous providence," said Mr.Ward; "but what has been done in your settlements in consequence of it ?" "We have fasted many days," returned the other, in a tone of great solemnity, "and our godly men have besought the Lord that he might now, as of old, rebuke Satan.

They have, moreover, diligently and earnestly inquired, Whence cometh this evil?
Who is the Achan in the camp of our Israel?
It hath been greatly feared that the Quakers and the Papists have been sowing tares in the garden of the true worship.

We have therefore banished these on pain of death; and have made it highly penal for any man to furnish either food or lodging to any of these heretics and idolaters.