The remainder of the day passed heavily and gloomily. All felt
there was a crisis at hand, and the insolent tone which the younger
Indians had assumed, left little hope with any that the escort of
their allies on the long and dreary route on which they were about
to enter would bring with it anything but despair and disaster.
Captain Headley had exerted his prerogative. He had, as commanding
officer, decided upon his course in opposition to the judgment even
of his Indian counsellors; but he was not happy--he was not satisfied
himself. On re-entering the fort, after the council had been broken
up, he had felt it necessary to the maintenance of his own dignity
to summon the subalterns before him, and read, or rather commence
to read to them, a lecture on their disobedience of his command to
them to follow him to the council; but, with strong evidence of
contempt in their manner, they had turned on their heels and walked
away without replying, leaving him deeply mortified at a want of
respect for him, which was rendered the more bitter to his pride
by a certain latent consciousness that it had not been wholly
unmerited. On entering his apartment, he found his noble wife
preparing at her leisure the private arrangements for departure,
and calm and collected as if no circumstances of more than ordinary
interest were agitating the general mind. He caught her in his
arms; he sat upon the sofa, and drew her passionately to his heart.
Never in the course of twenty years' marriage had he more fondly
loved her. There was a luxury of endearment in that embrace that
renewed all the earlier and more vivid recollection of their union,
and for many minutes they remained thus, each wishing it could last
for ever. When this full outpouring of their souls had subsided,
their hearts beat lighter, felt freer, and there was less
scruple in entering on the subject of the immediate future that
awaited them.
While they thus sat conversing in a strain of confidence and
tenderness, which the immediate trials to which they were about to
be exposed rendered, more exquisitely keen, Mr. McKenzie and Winnebeg
entered unannounced. At the sight of Captain Headley, hand in hand
with his wife, who sat upon his knee, the former would have retired,
but Mrs. Headley, without at all displacing herself or affecting
a confusion she did not feel, begged him to remain, adding that,
as she supposed Winnebeg and himself had important business with
Captain Headley, she would retire into the adjoining room.
She rose slowly and majestically, bowed gracefully to the trader,
and took the hand of the chief, who as heartily returned the warm
pressure she gave it.
"God bless him squaw!" he said, feelingly; "Winnebeg always love
him. Lay down life for him."
"Thank you, good Winnebeg," returned Mrs. Headley, warmly, while
a faint smile played upon her features; "I am sure you would do
that, but let us hope it will never come to the trial."
"Hope so," returned the chief, as he shook his head gravely, and
followed with a mournful glance the receding form of the noble-minded
woman.
"Captain Headley," remarked Mr. McKenzie with severity, when the
door was closed on her, "I am come to use strong language to you,
but the occasion justifies it. If you do not rescind your promise
of powder to the Indians, the blood of your wife, of my daughter--of
every woman and child--of every individual in the garrison, be upon
your head! Sir, you will be a murderer, and without the poor excuse
of even being compelled to pursue the course you have. Was it not
enough to promise them the public stores, without exciting their
cupidity still further? Did you not hear the insolent Pee-to-tum
declare that not only he would have all the ardent spirit as well,
and not merely that, but what was contained in my cellar? When
men--and Indians, in particular--use such language, do you think
it prudent to put the means of our certain destruction in their
hands? Do you think it likely that, when once they have drained to
repletion of the maddening liquor, they will hesitate as to the
manner of disposing of the powder so recklessly, nay, so guiltily,
given to them? No, sir; let those articles be theirs, and we are
lost, irrevocably lost! Speak, Winnebeg--you hear--you understand
all I say--am I right?"
"Yes, Kenzie right," returned the chief; "sorry give him
powder--young warrior not obey Winnebeg--Pee-to-tum bad man--make
him wicked:--no give him powder, Gubbernor!"
All the extent of the indiscretion of which he had been guilty now,
for the first time, occurred to Captain Headley, and he could not
but agree with the trader, that the results he foretold were those
the most likely to follow the distribution.
"But how am I to act?" he returned (his pride causing him to reply
rather to Winnebeg than to Mr. McKenzie); "how can I retract the
promise I have so solemnly made without incurring the very danger
you seem to apprehend? It will never do. Pee-to-tum will then sow
disunion between us and our allies, and then where will be our
expected escort?"
"Captain Headley, are you wilfully blind that you do not perceive
you have lost all power, all influence to command where most you
seem so much to rely? Why, sir, it is clear that they are only
waiting for the delivery of the presents to throw off the mask.
Better would it have been had you allowed them to gut the fort and
choose for themselves. In their eagerness for plunder, they would
have lingered at least a couple of days behind, thus enabling you
to effect your march without them. Better that, I say, than the
suicidal course you have adopted; but far better still it were had
you boldly resolved to defend the post to the last. Your daring
and your determination would have awed the Indians. Your present
evident weakness and vacillation but inspire contempt."
"Mr. McKenzie," said the captain, rising with strong indignation
in his manner, "this language I may not, will not hear with impunity."
"Nay," continued the trader, "you shall hear, for I have a right
to speak. By your conduct, all are imperilled. For the men it were
not so bad; but the women! Indeed, no language can be too strong
to express the dangers you have drawn around us all. Have you no
thought of your own noble wife?"
The door opened, and Mrs. Headley stood once more before them, calm
and composed, but with a countenance slightly flushed.
"Headley--Mr. McKenzie, excuse my intrusion, but I could not avoid
overhearing this unpleasant argument, which can tend to no benefit
in our strong emergency. Think me not bold if I intrude in this
matter, and, as a woman who has passed not a few summers of existence
in these wilds, offer my opinion. With you, Mr. McKenzie, I perfectly
agree that it would be highly imprudent, in the present changed
state of feeling of the Pottowatomies generally, to supply them
with ammunition which may be used against ourselves, and, with
Captain Headley on the other hand, deem that it would be impolitic
to exasperate the young men by denying that which they now so
confidently expect."
"And how, dear Ellen, would you solve the difficulty?" asked her
husband, smiling.
Mr. McKenzie spoke not; but his eyes were bent upon her with mingled
surprise, respect, and admiration.
"You may keep the word of promise to the ear, but break it to the
hope," she replied. "Did you not say you had appointed to-morrow
for the delivery of the presents?"
"I did. To-morrow at twelve. Everything will then be handed over."
"Then," resumed Mrs. Headley, "what more simple than to produce,
among the other parcels, a single cask of powder and another of
rum; and if asked why there is not more, to offer in excuse that
you had not known your supply was so low. No doubt, Pee-to-tum and
those who, with himself, are discontented, will express
disappointment, even indignation; but that is a very secondary
consideration, when we consider the importance of withholding the
gift. One cask of powder and one of rum divided among four hundred
warriors will not amount to much after all."
"All very well, Ellen; but what is to prevent them, if they fancy
themselves duped, from forcing the store and discovering the deceit
that has been practised? Then, indeed, will they have some just
ground for their fury."
"I have provided against that," she replied. "I mean that Winnebeg
shall call a council of his young men this night at twelve, so as
to keep them away from the fort that they may not know what is
going on; then, when all is still, the whole of the men can be
employed in removing the casks of powder and liquor, rolling them
some into the sallyport, and emptying their contents into the well,
which you know is built there as a reservoir in the event of a
siege; the remainder, conveyed through the northern gate, the heads
knocked in, and the contents thrown into the river. If they should
search, they will find nothing."
"Good!" said Winnebeg, who perfectly understood the proposition,
and had listened to every word.
"Indeed, indeed, Mrs. Headley," remarked the trader, "who will not
admit that there is more resource on an emergency in a woman's mind
than in all our boasted wisdom put together? A better plan could
not have been devised. You will adopt it, Captain Headley?"
"Most certainly," he said, fervently grasping the hand of his wife.
"When did my Ellen ever fail to better my judgment by her sound
advice?"
"And yet, but for our little misunderstanding, Captain Headley--a
misunderstanding not personal, but simply of opinion--we should
never have had the advantage of her most wise umpiry. This is
certainly an illustration that good sometimes comes of evil."
"And now, gentlemen," said Mrs. Headley, playfully, "that I have
conferred upon you the benefit of that wisdom you seem so properly
to appreciate, I will again leave you to yourselves."
"God bless him!" said Winnebeg, as he took the hand that was again
proffered to him in the most friendly manner.
"My ammunition and liquors must be destroyed in the same manner,"
said the trader, who now rose to take his leave. "Only three or
four of my voyageurs are at home just now. You will allow some of
your own men to assist them, Captain Headley."
"The moment the public stores are destroyed, they shall all do so,"
replied the captain; "the work cannot be too speedily done. Think
you, Winnebeg, you can keep your young men in the encampment
to-night?"
"Try him Gubbernor--call him council--speak him of march to Fort
Wayne; spose young Ingin come, good--spose him no come, sleep till
to-morrow."
"Very well, Winnebeg, you must arrange it as best you can, but
contrive at least to keep them from prowling around the fort. At
midnight, then, Mr. McKenzie, we shall commence the work of
destruction. When you have made your own preparations, and wish to
come in for aid, follow the subterranean passage that leads from
the river near your warehouse to the sallyport; you will find the
men there busily engaged, and ready for you the moment they have
emptied the contents of our casks."
The commandant waved his hand in a familiar manner as he concluded,
and the trader and the chief withdrew.