Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawas. A tale of the siege of Detroit, etc

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WORKS BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. THE "BOONE AND KENTON" SERIES. With Full -page Illustrations. The Phantom of the River. Shod with Silence. In the Days of the Pioneers. THE "FOREST AND PRAIRIE" SERIES. With Full-page Illustrations. The Path in the Ravine. The Young Ranchers. The Great Cattle Trail. THE "BOY PIONEER" SERIES. With Full-page Illustrations. Ned in the "Woods. A Tale of Early Days in the West. Ned on the River. A Tale of Indian River Warfare. Ned in the Block House. A Story of Pioneer Life in Kentucky. THE "LOG CABIN" SERIES. With Full-page Illustrations. The Lost Trail. Camp-Fire and Wigwam. Footprints in the Forest. THE "GREAT RIVER" SERIES. With Full-page Illustrations. Down the Mississippi. Lost in the Wilds. Up the Tapajos ; or, Adventures in Brazil. THE "DEERFOOT" SERIES. With Full-page Illustrations.

The Hunters of the Ozark. The Camp in the Mountains. The Last War Trail. Bob Lovell's Career. A Story of American Railway Life. Lost in Samoa. A Tale of Adventure in the Navigator Islands. Illustrated. Tad; or, "Getting Even" with Him. Illustrated. The Boy Hunters of Kentucky. Illustrated. Red Feather. A Tale of the American Frontier. Illustrated. Cassell & Company, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C. 8-4.97 PONTIAC FronttSplCCC. THE NIGHT ATTACK ON THE SCHOONER. pa.re j** PONTIAC CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS H ©al* of ilj* %itQt of Irtrott BY EDWARD S. ELLIS AUTHOR OF "THE LOG CABIN SERIES," " DEERFOOT SERIES," ETC. WITH EIGHT FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS CASSELL and COMPANY, Limited LONDOsV, PARIS & MELBOURNE 1897 ALL KICHTo RESERVED CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. NIGHT ON THE RIVER . I II. OFF FIGHTING ISLAND II III.

THROUGH THE SHADOWS 21 IV. THE LEFT SHORE ....... 31 V. THE RIGHT SHORE 41 VI. " BLOW HER UP, JACK ! " 5 1 VII. WAITING FOR DAYLIGHT 6l VIII. THE ABSENT ONE 71 IX. MISSING 8l X. THE KNIGHT TO THE RESCUE 91 XI. FRIEND OR FOE ? IOI XII. ON THE RIVER'S MARGIN Ill XIII. CATHARINE 121 XIV. A CANOE AND ITS OCCUPANTS 131 XV. OUTWITTED 141 XVI. WALLED IN 151 XVII. WHO WAS SHE ? l6l XVIII. PONTIAC 170 XIX. WHITHER ? I80 XX. MADGE .-. CONTENTS. VI l'AGB XXI. A PRAYER AND ITS ANSWER 2°° XXII. FREE? 21° XXIII. "SHE'LL DO IT" 220 XXIV. THE PLOTTERS 23O XXV. A SURPRISE 24O XXVI. THE PLOT 250 XXVII. OUT IN THE NIGHT 260 XXVIII. THE CLEW 270 XXIX. THROUGH FOREST AND RIVER 280 XXX. CONCLUSION 2gO ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE PONTIAC AND HIS WARRIORS 48 THE NIGHT ATTACK ON THE SCHOONER (Frontispiece) . . 57 " WHERE IS SHE NOW ? " So "GO BACK'. GO BACK ! " 114 THE LAST OF PIERRE 130 AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND 177 IN THE NICK OF TIME 21 8 CHECKED I PONTIAC, CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS.

Chapter I. Night On The River

CAPTAIN HORST, in charge of the small schooner Gladivyn from Niagara, was as cending the Detroit river, on his way to the frontier post of Detroit, which had been besieged for several months by the great Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas. It was the dream of that leader, as it had been of King Philip, nearly a century before, to unite all of his race against the whites and to wage a remorseless war which should not end until the last pale face was driven from the hunting grounds of the red men. The reader of American history hardly needs to be reminded that at the conclusion of the French and Indian war, France gave up by treaty all her domain in the new world. Previous to the breaking out of that war, she established a chain of military posts in the west, her purpose being to found a great empire in the Mississippi valley.

The capture of Quebec in 1759 foreshadowed so clearly the decisive end, that the famous ranger, Major Robert Rogers, was sent with an escort in the following year to receive the surrender of the French posts in the west. Detroit made its submission in November, in the presence of hundreds of Indians, who could not understand why so large a force of Frenchmen surrendered to so small a body of English soldiers. But the sagacious Pontiac, who was among the spec tators, grasped the whole meaning of the strange scene. " The Englishmen have conquered the French," he said, " and now they will turn on us and make us their slaves, but that shall never be." And then the terrible leader of the Ottawas began forming that far-reaching conspiracy, which forms one of the most dramatic episodes in our history.

The American Indian possesses in perfection the art of contenting his soul with patience, while await ing the favorable moment for action. The weeks lengthened into months until full two years had come and gone, before the arrival of the day for striking the prodigious blow intended to wipe out every one of the English posts in the west. Pontiac's messengers threaded their way through the dismal wilderness to tribes hundreds of miles distant, and in most cases secured their pledges to join in the plot, which was as simple as it was com prehensive. It was, in short, that on May 7, 1763, the Indians should attack the post nearest them and then join in assailing the settlements. The plan was successful in a number of instances, but Major Glad wyn, the commandant at Detroit, received warning from an Ojibwa maiden and took such precautions that when Pontiac and his warriors were admitted within the palisades, under the pretense of making a friendly call, they withdrew without siring a gun or raising a hostile hand.

Pontiac kept up the semblance of friendship for a short time, when, seeing that it was useless, he threw aside all disguise and began the siege of De troit. The tribes under his immediate control were Ottawas, Ojibwas, Pottawatomies, and Wyandots, afterward joined by others. Detroit, at that time, was laid out in the form of a square, inclosed by a high palisade. At each cor ner of this palisade was a wooden bastion, mounting several pieces of artillery, and there were block houses over the gateway. The seventy-five or eighty dwellings were separated by narrow streets and were all made of wood. The garrison included one hundred and twenty men, while a third as many more were capable of bearing arms should the neces sity arise. Two armed schooners lay near at hand in the river. This is not the place to give a detailed history of the siege of Detroit, which, beginning in May, had continued about three months, when the incidents we have set out to describe took place.

In the interval, the Indians had tried without success to start a conflagration among the inflammable build ings of the post, and had failed to destroy by means of fire rafts, the schooners lying in the river. They had cut off supplies and reinforcements which tried to reach Detroit by way of the lake, and had in flicted a frightful defeat, with the loss of sixty killed and wounded, including the leader, Major Dalzell, in his attempt to surprise the besiegers. Ever since that fateful day, the scene of the mas sacre has been known as Bloody Ridge, and it was during the following week that Captain Horst en tered the river with his small sloop and crew of ten men, he being on his way with dispatches and pro visions from Niagara for Major Gladwyn. The post had begun to feel the lack of supplies and could not hope to hold out much longer without help.

The captain's wish and expectation was to reach Detroit before night set in. The smart breeze carried the craft forward at a good rate, and the hopes of all were high, for every one comprehended the importance of reaching Detroit while daylight lasted. The wooded shores were the hiding-places of hundreds of scowling warriors, intently watching from cover the progress of the boat, but afraid to attack even with the smallness of the crew apparent, without the darkness to aid them. They were as anxious for the wind to die out as were the white men that it should hold, and sad to say the hopes of the warriors were gratified. The breeze became fitful as the afternoon drew to a close, and each revival was fainter and weaker, until, just as twilight set in, the sails hung limp and the surface of the river became as smooth as a summer millpond.

Captain Horst had navigated the lakes and inland waters long enough to read unerringly all these signs. He knew there would not be another breath of air until the sun appeared above the horizon on the morrow. " It 's no use," he said, compressing his lips and shaking his head, " we 're in for it, and are sure to see high jinks before we see Detroit." " You 're right, Cap; the varmints are as thick as bees round a honeycomb, on both sides of the • » » river. " I have n't seen any." " I hev," was the quiet response; " they don't show themselves if they can help it at such times as these, but I 've had more 'n one glimpse of 'em, consarn 'em ! " The Gladwyn was the smaller of the two schooners which lay at Detroit during most of the siege, and which Pontiac had vainly attempted to destroy by means of fire rafts.

It had been sent to Niagara with letters and dispatches, and was now returning with a crew of ten men, besides Horst, the master, and Jacobs, the mate. In addition there were six friendly Iroquois Indians, that had been allowed to go along as passengers. When it was evident that the vessel could pass no further that night and the anchor was dropped, the Iroquois asked to be set ashore, saying they were in a hurry to reach their destination, which was not very definitely located. The master of the vessel did not like this request, and the veteran ranger, Jo Spain, shook his head. " It means mischief," he said. " You don't think they '11 join Pontiac ? " " Not exactly, but it is n't sartin ; I 've had deal in's with the varmints before and they 're all alike. But they 're sure to make their way to Pontiac's camp and let him know how weak we are."

Does n't he know that now ? " " No; how could he ? He has seen our men on deck, but he don't know that it is all of 'em ; he may think we 're keeping a lot out of sight, so as to give him and his warriors 'tickler thunder when they come out to tackle us." " What shall I do, Jo ? " The half-dozen Iroquois, wrapped in their blan kets, despite the sultriness of the weather, were standing sullenly apart near the bow, looking off to the right in the direction of Fighting Island, opposite which the schooner was becalmed. " You can't do anything but let 'em go." The master of the craft showed his surprise at this remark. You tell me to do the very thing I should n't do " 'Cause you can't help it. It won't do to tie these consarned varmints up, for some of 'em would get loose during the fight, and then we shall have them to fight, and that '11 be too much of a good thing."

" Then it 's best to let them go, for if we refuse and don't bind them, they will take the chance to slip overboard, and in revenge will join our enemies." The ranger nodded his head. " You 've hit the idee 'zactly. I 'm powerful sorry that they want to leave us just at this time; when I heerd 'em talkin' it over among themselves, I tried to argufy 'em out of it, but when an Injin has sot his mind on anything, you may as well give up, so I told 'em we 'd set 'em ashore." " What did they say to that ? " " Grunted and nodded their heads. Red Feather, the leader, said he and the rest was our friends, and if there was any trouble, they 'd come back and fight for us. I tried to make 'em b'leve I swallered that, but it was hard work." " Shall we take them ashore in the boat or let them swim ? " " It would n't do to make 'em swim, for that would hurt their feelin's. They 'd know why we done it, and it would give 'em an excuse for helpin' Pontiac."

" Do they need an excuse ? " Mebbe, I 'm wrong," said Jo, after a moment's reflection, during which he glanced at the dusky figures near the prow, rapidly growing indistinct in the gathering gloom; " I may be mistook, but I hev a hope that Red Feather and the rest won't do anything more 'n to tell Pontiac that there 's only a dozen of us." " What is your reason for hoping that ? " " These Iroquois, you know, stood by us purty well in the war that 's about come to an end ; them six tribes that make up the Iroquois people are strong enough to clean out all the other varmints in the country. Consequently and aforesaid, they would do as they danged please. Pontiac would be tickled to death if he could get the Iroquois to jine him in this bus'ness, but they 've got too much sense. When these half a dozen go into his camp he darsen't try to make 'em do what they don't want to do, 'cause he knows the Iroquois at home would n't stand it.

When they larned of it they 'd clean out all the Ottawas, Ojibwas, Pottawatomies, and Wyandots in the country. That 's the kind of folks the Iroquois are. But all the same, these varmints nat'rally wish Pontiac well, and they '11 let 'em know how many men we have aboard. Pontiac will feel mighty good over it. He 's been tryin' to burn this schooner, and now he '11 know of a sar tinty that the Great Spirit has give it into his hands." " You speak as if Pontiac is with the Indians along shore. We are nine miles below Detroit : is it not more probable that he is near the fort ? " " Wal, as to that, there 's no sayin'. Mebbe he is n't on the bank over to the left or on Fightin' Island, off there to the right. I don't know that it makes much difference one way or t'other. We 're bound to catch it sure to-night."

" It will be a risky thing to take these Iroquois ashore." " I '11 take 'em," remarked Jo, as he might have remarked that he would eat his dinner when it was ready; " it 's 'bout dark 'nough." The ranger sauntered to the bow of the schooner, where the six dusky passengers stood apart from the crew, talking together now and then in low tones. Jo Spain had the peculiar gift of readily learning an Indian tongue, and he could talk to these warriors as well as to his own people. Not only that, but he was familiar with the Ottawa and several other Indian lingoes. The Iroquois held their heads bent, their coarse black hair dangling about their shoulders, and they glanced sideways at the white man as he drew near. They formed a picturesque group, with their stained feathers in the crowns of their heads, but they seemed to feel some pleasure at the approach of the famous fighter of their race.

"Does my brothers wish to go ashore?" he asked, addressing himself more directly to Red Feather, who replied : " It is our wish, but the Iroquois are the brothers of the English." " You have showed that more 'n once," was the diplomatic comment of Jo; "it shall be as you wish; we '11 step into the boat, and I '11 take you to land. Come with me."

Chapter II. Off Fighting Island

THE ranger walked to the stern of the schooner, where the small boat was fastened. Captain Horst saluted the Indians as they passed, and bade them good-by. They grunted in reply, and stepped carefully into the boat, which they would have liked better had it been a canoe, to which they were accustomed, but they showed no hesitation, for the craft was capable of carrying a greater num ber than they. They had seen such row-boats before, and they took their seats with judgment. Jo was the last one to enter, unfastening the rope before he did so. Then, instead of using the two oars, as is the custom, he employed one as a paddle, following the fashion of the Indians, by dipping it first on one side of the boat and then on the other. He was seated at the stern, and by adopting this method he faced all of his undesirable passengers.

There could be no question as to the extreme danger of the task the ranger had undertaken. He was not only in the power of these six Iroquois, every one of whom carried a rifle and knife, but he POZVTIAC, CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS. was approaching land where there was no doubt of the intense hostility of the savages lurking along the bank. It was questionable whether Red Feather and his companions could save him from harm if the Ottawas offered it, and equally questionable whether they would do so if the opportunity was theirs. To the astonishment of Captain Horst, Jo left his rifle behind him upon enterng the smaller boat. But there was reason in his action, because if danger should come the single weapon could not save him, and he would be handicapped by the necessity of taking care of it. If anything would appeal to the chivalry of the Iroquois (admitting that any of the people possessed that virtue) this apparent trust in their honor would do so.

In leaving the Gladwyn, Jo Spain headed toward Fighting Island, on his right, but was hardly out of sight of the schooner when Red Feather told him that it was their desire to land upon the mainland, to the left. " It shall be as my brother wishes," replied the ranger, immediately turning the boat about, taking care, however, to pass the schooner at such a distance that it could not be seen. The critical question with Jo was whether there was any understanding between the Iroquois in his small boat and the Ottawas on the mainland. If such were the fact, he knew his fate was sealed, but with all his acuteness and suspicion, he could not believe that anything of the kind existed. The schooner had been continually moving until the fail ure of the wind at nightfall, and no communication could have passed between the parties during that time.

It was impossible that an agreement was made before the vessel left Fort Niagara, for no one could have foreseen the present situation of affairs. On the whole, therefore, the ranger believed that the only peril to which he was likely to be exposed was that which developed with the progress of incidents themselves. He carefully plied the oar, and in due time the faint outline of the towering trees showed that he was near shore. He held his course at right angles until the branches were almost over his head, when, by a dextrous flirt of the paddle, he shot the boat fully fifty feet further up stream. " Why does my brother do that ? " angrily asked Red Feather, turning his scowling face toward him. " The place is not good for my brother's feet," was the calm reply, though Jo was influenced by a far different reason.

" All places are good for the feet of the Iro quois. " " Very well, then, we '11 land here.' And as he spoke the words, he drove the bow of POsVTIAC, CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS. 14 the craft so hard against the bank that it stopped with a bump so sudden that every one was jarred. It was a trying moment, and the ranger was listening for some signal or the rush of the Ottawas. The Iroquois rose slowly and left the boat. Jo bade them good-by again, and, hardly able to repress his anxiety, instantly pushed out from shore, plying the oar with the utmost vigor at his command. And this was the most trying moment of all. The sharp question of Red Feather was a betrayal of his feelings, and Jo half expected that the whole six would let fly at him, with the intervening space so brief that a miss was impossible.

His position was much like that of an officer trying to preserve his dignity while walking away from an enemy aim ing at him. In fact, when sure that the impetus of the boat would take it beyond sight, Jo dropped down in the bottom, where he was protected from any bullets that might whistle about his ears. But not a shot was fired, a fact which led him to conclude that Red Feather and his companions were indifferent as to what befell him and the rest. They don't care about my scalp, but they '11 let the other varmints know there 's only a dozen of us to defend the schooner, and maybe the Iroquois will help in the attack, so as to keep their hands in." When about to resume the paddle, he heard a gentle plash in the water. All sounds were signifi cant at such times, and he suspected that an enemy was swimming toward him.

His keen sense of hear ing told him precisely the point whence came the noise, and he cautiously peered over the side of the boat, hoping to catch sight of his foe. " One thing 's sartin," thought the ranger, " if he 's got his gun with him he can't use it in the water — so we stand the same as to that." Jo Spain did not carry a pistol, for that weapon of those days was a clumsy and unhandy affair. The rangers depended upon their unerring rifles and upon their knives when it came to a hand-to-hand encounter. He failed to detect anything suspicious, and, im prudent though it might seem, he settled into the belief that the slight disturbance was caused by a fish, which, as they are fond of doing on still summer nights, had flung itself in sport out of the water. Still, the keen eyes of the ranger continually roamed over the water on every side, as he swung the paddle.

He had calculated the distance so accurately that he was not obliged to swerve to the right or Jest, after catching sight of the motionless schooner. " Is that you, Jo ?" called Captain Horst, in a guarded undertone. POZVTIAC, CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS. " It 's me," was the reply, as the ranger ran the little boat under the stern of the larger craft, climbed out and made it fast. " I 'm greatly relieved to see you back," said the master, " for it was a risky venture to make, but you came from the direction of the mainland." " After heading fur the island, Red Feather told me he wanted to land on t'other shore, so I took 'em there. We had n't any fuss in partin'. What 's to be the end I don't know, but I 'm glad we 're rid of 'em." Captain Horst had lost no time in making ready for the attack of their enemies.

Many of the preparations were made immediately after dropping the anchor, so as to impress the Indians with their watchfulness. The single small cannon on board was loaded to the muzzle with slugs and scrap iron and would be a most effective weapon at short range. Every man of the twelve owned a rifle. In truth, there were three or four extra ones. Ammu nition was plentiful, most of the men possessed knives, and there were several hatchets and axes. It was certain that the assailants would receive a fierce reception whenever they came. Everything that could be done had been done when Jo Spain walked to the stern of the schooner with the captain, where they could converse a little apart from the rest. " It can't do any good to speculate as to what Red Feather and the others will do, and I don't think six makes much difference where there 's so many.

I wonder that they did n't open fire on us from the shore when we were in such plain sight, after the wind died out and I had to drop anchor. But they did not even show themselves, though they could have picked off some of us." " Thar 's nuthin' that a redskin likes so much as to 'sprise an enemy; them varmints don't want us to think they 've any idee of botherin' us; they mean to come out here to-night, and hope we won't be 'spectin' anything of the kind. If one of 'em had let fly at us, it would have upset .their whole plan. You catch the idee, Cap ? " The bronzed captain nodded his head, holding his thin lips compressed, while his gray eyes glit tered. He had been an active partisan in the French and Indian war, barely closed, and few understood the treacherous nature of the redmen better than he.

He required no argument to convince him that he would never see Detroit without a desperate fight with the followers of Pontiac, who had been told by the French settlers that the king of their country was asleep, but would soon awake and come to help them drive all the English from the country. It was noticeable that the crew of the schooner, in making their dispositions for the night, almost involuntarily, as may be said, protected themselves, so far as they could, while moving about the craft. As there was no telling from which shore the blow would come, the slender masts were of little avail, but the furtive glance, the haste from one point to another, the ducking of the head, and the numerous evidences of misgiving were so common that the captain reproved the brave fellows more than once, setting the example by standing as erect as if his boat were in the middle of Lake Erie.

" When do you suppose they will attack us ? " was the captain's question. The ranger shook his head. " The fav'rite time with the varmints is just afore daylight, when white folks sleep the soundest, but they don't always wait that long. It depends on sarcumstances ; they '11 wait till they think we 've give up the idea of their comin', and then they '11 be down on us like a house afire." " We must not let them come over the rail," said Captain Horst, with another flash of his fine gray eyes. " No, sir; fur, if you do, we 're gone ! They will attack in such a swarm that they won't need mor'n half a chance; if they get that, it will be good-by to us all ; they '11 scoop every scalp in the crowd." " When I find hope gone, I '11 blow up the boat ! If we have got to go to kingdom come, we 'II send more of 'em in the other direction."

There was no braggadocio in these words. The master would not hesitate to carry out his resolution. " That hits me right," remarked the ranger, as if communing with himself, as his restless eyes roved from shore to shore; " when you find you 've got to go, why do it in style ! As I take it, there 's 'nough powder aboard to blow this old vessel sky high." " Yes; we have several hundred pounds, intended for Major Gladwyn ; it will be a good deal better to go out with that than to have the Indians finish us, by tomahawk or stake. ' ' " Of course, not forgetting that it will make a purty good-sized hole in Pontiac's people at the same time — but, here 's Asher, who looks as if he wanted to say something. ' ' The faces of the two veterans lit up, as a young man, not more than eighteen years of age, came toward them, making a half-military salute to both as if apologizing for his intrusion.

He saw he was welcome, for he was a favorite with the crew of the sloop, and with none to a greater degree than to the captain and the old ranger. Asher Norris was the nephew of Jo Spain, and his father, mother, and most intimate friends were in Detroit. He had left that post some months before with his uncle, and made the long journey to Niagara bearing an urgent request from Major Gladwyn for supplies. The result of the trip was the attempt of the schooner to deliver the much-needed stores, which, when almost at the gate of the post, were placed in a position of the gravest peril.

Chapter III. Through The Shadows

WHAT a pity that the breeze did not last an hour or two longer," said young Asher Norris, with a sigh; "we are only eight or nine miles from Detroit, and a little more wind would have taken us there." ' There 's no use in crying for spilt milk," was the philosophic remark of Captain Horst. " Jo and I, and, I suppose, you, too, have made up our minds that we 're to have the sharpest kind of a fight to-night." " I was sure of that as soon as the anchor was dropped. But," added Asher, touching the matter that had brought him to the stern of the schooner, and that wrinkled the brow of his handsome face, " why can't we lower the boat that Uncle Jo just used, and with all of us that can get into it, tow the vessel out of this dangerous spot ? " The ranger shook his head. " 'T won't never do." " I had thought of the same thing," remarked the skipper; " it would be hard work, but we might get the schooner to the fort by daylight."