e in a few days." This deception, however, upon the Indians, was not
of long duration. The sagacious eye of Tecumseh soon perceived
indications of a retreat from Malden, and he promptly enquired into the
matter. General Proctor informed him that he was only going to send
their valuable property up the Thames, where it would meet a
reinforcement, and be safe. Tecumseh, however, was not to be deceived
by this shallow device; and remonstrated most urgently against a
retreat. He finally demanded, in the name of all the Indians under his
command, to be heard by the general, and, on the 18th of September,
delivered to him, as the representative of their great father, the
king, the following speech:

"Father, listen to your children! you have them now all before you.

"The war before this, our British father gave the hatchet to his red
children, when our old chiefs were alive. They are now dead. In that
war our father was thrown on his back by the Americans; and our father
took them by the hand without our knowledge; and we are afraid that our
father will do so again at this time.

"Summer before last, when I came forward with my red brethren and was
ready to take up the hatchet in favor of our British father, we were
told not to be in a hurry, that he had not yet determined to fight the
Americans.

"Listen! when war was declared, our father stood up and gave us the
tomahawk, and told us that he was then ready to strike the Americans;
that he wanted our assistance, and that he would certainly get our
lands back, which the Americans had taken from us.

"Listen! you told us at that time, to bring forward our families to
this place, and we did so; and you promised to take care of them, and
they should want for nothing, while the men would go and fight the
enemy; that we need not trouble ourselves about the enemy's garrisons;
that we knew nothing about them, and that our father would attend to
that part of the business. You also told your red children that you
would take good care of your garrison here, which made our hearts glad.

"Listen! when we were last at the Rapids, it is true we gave you little
assistance. It is hard to fight people who live like ground-hogs.

"Father, listen! our fleet has gone out; we know they have fought; we
have heard the great guns; but we know nothing of what has happened to
our father with one arm.[A] Our ships have gone one way, and we are
much astonished to see our father tying up every th