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Page 73
"Of course I knew enough of Indian etiquette to be
satisfied that I should gain by not attempting to hurry
matters, and I accordingly suppressed my own impatience
while taking a few whiffs from the pipe he courteously
offered to me. Winnebeg then received it back, and while
he sat with his eyes fixed intently on the fire, puffed
away in an attitude of profound attention which encouraged
me to proceed.
"When he had heard all I had to say in regard to the
fears I entertained for the absent party--for I did not
confine my profession of interest to ONE--my vain
application to the commandant, and my strong reliance
upon him to send a party of his young men with me to the
farm, his eye suddenly kindled--his countenance assumed
a more animated expression, and removing the pipe from
his lips, and puffing forth a more than usual volume of
smoke, he cordially shook my hands, saying something in
Indian to his son, who immediately sprang to his feet,
and disappeared from the tent.
"After a lapse of time which seemed to me as an age, the
youth re-appeared with a dozen young warriors, all armed
and decked in their war paint. They remained grouped
round the entrance for a few minutes, while Waunangee
changed his own dress, and Winnebeg provided me with a
rifle, tomahawk and scalping-knife. Thus accoutred I took
the lead with the former, and after cautiously creeping
through the encampment, passed along the skirt of the
wood that almost overhung the river. We moved off at a
quick walk, but soon our pace increased to a half-run,
so anxious were we all to get to the farm.
"We had not proceeded more than half-way when we saw a
small boat, which I immediately distinguished as that
belonging to the fishing-party, slowly descending the
river. The Indians simultaneously, and as if governed by
one common instinct, dropped flat on the ground, as I
supposed to remain unseen until the boat should come
opposite to them, while I, uncertain by whom it was
occupied, and anxious to ascertain, after whispering a
few words to Waunangee, moved cautiously in advance along
the shore. When I had crept up about fifty yards, I could
distinctly see that it was one of our men, and I immediately
hailed to know who he was, and where the remainder of
the party were.
"Scarcely had he answered 'Collins,' and commenced a few
words of explanation of the cause of his being there and
alone, when the forms of two Indians, which I fancied I
had before detected creeping along the shore, regulating
their stealthy progress by that of the boat, started into
full height, and silently bounded towards me--one a little
in advance of the other. The moment was critical. They
were not twenty paces from me, and I have often since
wondered at the presence of mind I preserved. It occurred
to me that they would not commit the imprudence of using
firearms so near the Fort, and that steel only would be
resorted to by them. This suggested my own course. Throwing
my rifle upon the beach in order that Collins, who was
now pulling for the shore, might seize and use it as
occasion should require, I grasped the scalping-knife in
my left hand, and with my tomahawk in my right, did not
wait for the attack, but rushed upon the foremost Indian,
for I knew that my only chance of success lay in the
killing or disabling of one before his comrade could come
up. At the same time, both to apprise Waunangee of my
position, and to daunt my adversaries, I uttered one of
these tremendous yells, you know I so well can imitate,
and receiving the blow of his tomahawk upon my own, thrown
up in true military guard, plunged my knife into his body
with such suddenness and force, that on examining it
afterwards, I found that at least half an inch of the
tapering handle had followed the blade. The savage fell
dead without uttering a groan, a sight which, instead of
checking the advance of his companion, rather urged him
to revenge his fall. He had now come up with me, brandishing
his tomahawk, when I put myself again on my guard,
purposing to use my knife as I had done before, but at
the very moment when the descent of his weapon was expected
by me, he was suddenly seized from behind, raised from
his feet, and thrown upon the ground. This was the act
of Collins, who had gained the shore just after the first
Indian fell, and had flown to my assistance.
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