Half King took the club and repeated the action.
Both chiefs favored the death penalty.
"Feed 'em to ther buzzards," croaked Jim Girty.
Simon Girty knitted his brow in thought. The question of what to do
with the converted Indians had long perplexed him.
"No," said he; "let us drive away the missionaries, burn the
village, and take the Indians back to camp. We'll keep them there;
they'll soon forget."
"Pipe does not want them," declared the Delaware.
"Christian Indians shall never sit round Half King's fire," cried
the Huron.
Simon Girty knew the crisis had come; that but few moments were left
him to decide as to the disposition of the Christians; and he
thought seriously. Certainly he did not want the Christians
murdered. However cruel his life, and great his misdeeds, he was
still a man. If possible, he desired to burn the village and ruin
the religious influence, but without shedding blood. Yet, with all
his power, he was handicapped, and that by the very chiefs most
nearly under his control. He could not subdue this growing Christian
influence without the help of Pipe and Half King. To these savages a
thing was either right or wrong. He had sown the seed of unrest and
jealousy in the savage breasts, and the fruit was the decree of
death. As far as these Indians were concerned, this decision was
unalterable.
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