It is, unfortunately, exceedingly difficult in Putnam's book to distinguish the really valuable authentic information it contains from the interwoven tissue of matter written solely to suit his theory of dramatic effect.

He puts in with equal gravity the "Articles of Agreement" and purely fictitious conversations, jokes, and the like.
(See pp.

126, 144, and _passim_.)] Horses and cattle had been brought into the new settlement in some number during the year; but the savages killed or drove off most of them, shooting the hogs and horned stock, and stealing the riding animals.

The loss of the milch cows in particular, was severely felt by the women.

Moreover, there were heavy freshets, flooding the low bottoms on which the corn had been planted, and destroying most of the crop.
These accumulated disasters wrought the greatest discouragement among the settlers.