But when any party landed, or wherever the current swept a boat inshore, within rifle range of the tangled forest on the banks, there was always danger.

The white riflemen, huddled together with their women, children, and animals on the scows, were utterly unable to oppose successful resistance to foes who shot them down at leisure, while themselves crouching in the security of their hiding-places.

The Indians practised all kinds of tricks and stratagems to lure their victims within reach.

A favorite device was to force some miserable wretch whom they had already captured to appear alone on the bank when a boat came in sight, signal to it, and implore those on board to come to his rescue and take him off; the decoy inventing some tale of wreck or of escape from Indians to account for his presence.

If the men in the boat suffered themselves to be overcome by compassion and drew inshore, they were sure to fall victims to their sympathy.
The boat once assailed and captured, the first action of the Indians was to butcher all the wounded.