of having a "big talk"
with them. Two or three of them spoke English enough to act as
interpreters.

"Why have you done this?" asked Mr. Pope. "Why did you come down here,
steal the horses, and then murder the owner of them?"

The spokesman charged us with stealing the Indian horses and killing
one of their chiefs.

"How's that, Phil?" asked the officer.

"They stole our horses, and when we found them, we took two other
horses belonging to the thieves," I replied. "But we returned them when
they came for them, the next day. They demanded more horses, besides
corn, meat, and whiskey, which we refused to give them, and they
threatened us. Then about a dozen Indians came on horseback; but we had
taken up the bridge, so that they could not cross over the brook. When
old Matt came down, they shot him dead, without a word of talk. Then
Kit Cruncher fired, and brought down the foremost Indian. The rest of
them ran away. We defended ourselves in the block-house, and they did
not dare to come near us, for Kit was sure of his man every time he
fired. Then some more of them came down to the island, and when we
drove them away from the house, they carried off Miss Ella. That's the
whole story. Mr. Gracewood was here all the time, and he will tell you
the same thing."

Lieutenant Pope repeated my statement to the Indians, and insisted that
it was the whole truth.

"These people have been your friends," said he. "They have often given
you meat and corn when you were hungry, and have lived in peace with
you for many years. Our great father the president will not permit his
children in the forest to be murdered. If you kill one white man, or
steal his property, you shall be punished as you have been to-day. We
bought your lands in fair bargain, and we give you every year money,
blankets, food, and all you need. If the white man wrongs you, he shall
be punished."

"No!" exclaimed the Indian, whose experience, perhaps, did not verify
this statement.

"If you complain of him, and we can find him, he shall be punished,"
repeated the officer.

He proceeded to show that the Indians had been the aggressors in the
present difficulty; that they had murdered one of the settlers without
provocation. He enlarged upon the terrible consequences which would
follow if the Indians persisted in waging war upon the white man. If
the lieutenant had proved that he was powerful on the war-path, he also
demonstrated that he was equally potent i