Whether the Miamis will keep true is doubtful; but now I'm on my
guard they'll find it difficult to take the fort. But the great thing
is to carry the news of what's happened to Detroit, to put them on
their guard. Will you and Pearson start at once?'
"In course we agreed, though it was clear that the job was a risksome
one, for it wouldn't be no easy matter to journey through the woods
with the hull redskin tribes on the war-path.
"The commander wanted me to carry the belt with me, but I said, 'I
might jest as well carry my death warrant to the first redskins as I
come across.' Major Gladwin, who commanded at Detroit, knew me, and I
didn't need to carry any proof of my story. So, afore the Miamis had
been gone half an hour, Jack and me took the trail for Detroit. We
had got a canoe hid on the lake a few miles away, and we was soon on
board. The next morning we seed a hull fleet of canoes coming down
the lake. We might have made a race with 'em, but being fully manned
the chances was as they'd have cut us off, and seeing that at present
war had not been declared, we judged it best to seem as if we weren't
afeared. So we paddles up to 'em and found as they were a lot of
Wyandots whose hunting-grounds lay up by Lake Superior. In course I
didn't ask no questions as to whar they was going, but jest mentioned
as we was on our way down to Detroit. 'We're going that way, too,'
the chief said, 'and 'll be glad to have our white brothers with us.'
So we paddled along together until, about noon, they landed.
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