knees at a clear, sparkling spring, from which he was
slaking his thirst. Instinctively I placed my rifle to my shoulder, drew
a bead upon the savage and pulled the trigger. Imagine, if you can, my
feelings as the flint came down and was shivered to pieces while the
priming remained unignited.

"The next moment the savage was up on his feet, his piece levelled
directly at me and his finger pressing the trigger. There was no escape;
I had left my horse in the woods some time before. The thicket behind me
was too dense to permit me to enter it again quickly, and there was no
tree within reach of sufficient size to protect me from the aim of my
foe, who, now finding me at his mercy, advanced, his gun still in its
threatening rest, and ordered me to surrender. Resistance and escape
were alike out of the question, and I accordingly delivered myself up
his prisoner, hoping by some means or other to escape at some future
period. He now told me, in good English, to proceed in a certain
direction. I obeyed him, and had not gone a stone's throw before, just
as I turned a thick clump of trees, I came suddenly upon an Indian camp,
the one to which my captor undoubtedly belonged.

"As we came up all the savages, some six or eight in number, rose
quickly and appeared much surprised at my appearing thus suddenly
amongst their number; but they offered me no harm, and they behaved
with most marked respect to my captor, whom, upon a close inspection, I
recognized to be Black Hawk himself.

"'The White mole digs deep, but Makataimeshekiakiak (Black Hawk) flies
high and can see far off,' said the chieftain is a deep, gutteral tone,
addressing me.

"He then related to his followers the occasion of my capture, and as
he did so they glared on me fiercely and handled their weapons in a
threatening manner, but at the conclusion of his remarks they appeared
better pleased, although I was the recipient of many a passing frown.
He now informed me that he had told his young men that they were to
consider me a brother, as he was going to adopt me into the tribe.

"This was to me but little better than death itself, but there was no
alternative and so I was obliged to submit, with the hope of making my
escape at some future time. The annunciation of Black Hawk, moreover,
caused me great astonishment, and after pondering the matter I was
finally forced to set down as its cause one of those unaccountable whims
to which the savage temperment is of