nd us there; and if
so, we should all be killed. I directed him to tell them that I would
watch, and if one would come that night, I should carry the skin of his
head home to make me a moccasin. When he made this communication, the
Indians laughed aloud.

At about ten o'clock that night, we all concluded to try to sleep a
little, but that our horses might be ready for use, we tied them up with
their saddles on them and put everything in readiness in case in the
night our quarters should get uncomfortable. We laid down with our guns
in our arms, and I had just gotten into a dozing sleep when I heard the
sharpest scream that ever escaped the throat of a human creature. It was
more like a wrathy painter[42-1] than anything else. The negro
understood, and he sprang to me, for though I heard the noise well
enough, yet I wasn't wide awake enough to get up; so the negro caught me
and said the Red Sticks was coming. I arose quickly then and asked what
was the matter. Our negro talked with the Indian, who had just fetched
the scream, and learned from him that he had come into camp as a runner,
and said that the war party had been crossing the Coosa River all day at
the Ten Islands and was going then to meet Jackson. This news very much
alarmed the friendly Indians, who were in the camp, and they were all
off in ten minutes.

I felt bound to make this intelligence known as soon as possible to the
army which we had left; and so we all mounted our horses and put out in
a long lope to make our way back to that place. We were about sixty-five
miles off. We went on to the Cherokee town we had visited on our way
out, having called at Radcliff's, who was off with his family. At the
town we found large fires burning, but not a single Indian was to be
seen. They were all gone, and it appeared we must be in great danger. We
therefore stayed only a short time in the light of the fires about the
town, preferring the light of the moon and the shade of the woods.

We pushed on till we got again to old Mr. Brown's, which was still about
thirty miles from where we had left the main army. When we got there,
the chickens were just at the first crowing for day. We fed our horses,
got a morsel to eat ourselves, and again cut out.

About ten o'clock in the morning we reached the camp, and I reported to
Colonel Coffee the news. He didn't seem to mind my report a bit, and
this raised my dander higher than ever; but I know'd I had to be on my
best b