Fred Godfrey was not altogether correct in his prophecy.  
Queen Esther, when she found that one of her prisoners was gone, gave expressions of fury and resumed the march up the river, her keeping closer watch than before to prevent any other escape.
 
The procession halted near a which rises about eighteen inches above the ground, and which may be seen to-day, as it lies directly east of the battle monument toward the site of burned Fort Wintermoot, on the brow of the high steep bank, which centuries ago probably marked the shore of the Susquehanna.
 
The eighteen prisoners were driven forward until this boulder was reached, which has been known ever since by the name of "Queen Esther's Rock."
 
Here the captives were ranged in a circle around the stone, while the queen, with a death-maul and , proceeded to upon her victims for the death of her son, killed by a party, a short time before the battle.
 
One after another, the white men were seated upon the rock, and held by two strong warriors, while the terrible Katharine Montour chanted a wild , and, raising the death-maul in both hands, dealt the single blow that was all sufficient.
 
Occasionally she the dreadful ceremony by using a keen-edged hatchet with her muscular arm, which was as effective as the death-maul by both hands.
 
The work went on until eleven victims had been sacrificed, when one of the men, Lebbeus Hammond, was roused by the sight of his own brother, who was placed upon the rock, and tightly grasped by two warriors.
 
It was impossible to do anything for him, but Lebbeus whispered to Joseph Elliott:
 
"Let's try it!"
 
On the instant, they themselves loose from their captors, and bounded down the river bank.
 
They expected to be shot, and they preferred such a death to that which awaited them if they remained.
 
But the very of the attempt, like that of Fred Godfrey, threw the Indians into confusion for the moment, and instead of firing they broke into pursuit, without discharging a weapon.
 
Fortunately for the , instead of keeping together they , Hammond heading up the river. The warriors must have concluded that they were making for Forty Fort, and shaped their course with the purpose of shutting them off. The fort lay............