Unable "to see his hand
before his face," Putnam soon fell into a clay-pit, and Durkee, like the
immortal "Jill" in the nursery rhyme, came tumbling after. Knowing that
the enemy were in swift and close pursuit, Putnam raised his tomahawk to
give the supposed hostile a deadly stroke, when Durkee fortunately
spoke. Thankful that he had escaped murdering his companion, Putnam
immediately leaped out of the pit, and followed by Durkee, groped his
way to some ledges, where they lay down behind a large log for the
remainder of the night. Before they lay down, the original narration
goes on to state, "Captain Putnam said he had a little liquor in his
canteen, which could never be more acceptable or necessary than on that
occasion; but on examining the canteen, which hung under his arm, he
found the enemy had pierced it with their bullets, and that there was
not a drop of liquor left. The next morning he found fourteen
bullet-holes in his blanket!"
His canteen was dry enough, but in falling into the clay-pit Putnam had
wet his gun, so that he could not return the fire of the Frenchmen, even
had he been so disposed.
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