enemy likewise ceased firing. But they soon after rallied again to
the fight, and made a desperate effort to carry the fortress by
assault. Rushing up to the walls, five of them thrust the muzzles of
their guns through the loopholes, but had no sooner done so, than
Mrs. Shell, seizing an axe, by quick and well directed blows ruined
every musket thus thrust through the walls, by bending the barrels.
A few more well-directed shots by Shell and his sons once more drove
the assailants back. Shell thereupon ran up to the second story, just
in the twilight, and calling out to his wife with a loud voice,
informed her that Captain Small was approaching from Fort Dayton with
succors. In yet louder notes he then exclaimed--'Captain Small march
your company round upon this side of the house. Captain Getman, you
had better wheel your men off to the left, and come up upon that
side.' There were of course no troops approaching; but the directions
of Shell were given with such precision, and such apparent
earnestness and sincerity, that the stratagem succeeded, and the
enemy immediately fled to the woods, taking away the twin-lads as
prisoners. Setting the best provisions they had before their
reluctant guest. Shell and his family lost no time in repairing to
Fort Dayton, which they reached in safety--leaving McDonald in the
quiet possession of the castle he had been striving to capture in
vain. Some two or three of McDonald's Indians lingered about the
premises to ascertain the fate of their leader; and finding that
Shell and his family had evacuated the post, ventured in to visit
him. Not being able to remove him, however, on taking themselves off,
they charged their wounded leader to inform Shell, that if he would
be kind to him, (McDonald,) they would take good care of his
(Shell's) captive boys. McDonald was the next day removed to the fort
by Captain Small, where his leg was amputated; but the blood could
not be stanched, and he died within a few hours. The lads were
carried away into Canada. The loss of the enemy on the ground was
eleven killed and six wounded. The boys, who were rescued after the
war, reported that they took twelve of their wounded away with them,
nine of whom died before they arrived in Canada. McDonald wore a
silver-mounted tomahawk, which was taken from him by Shell. It was
marked by thirty scalp-notc