ed on the other by the letter
of his wife, had, at the suggestion of Mrs. Headley, read for the
satisfaction and information of all the document addressed to
himself; and when this was concluded, exciting in the minds of all,
and particularly those yet unacquainted with the contents, renewed
interest in her fate, the ladies withdrew to complete such of their
arrangements for the march as were still necessary. On their
departure followed by the customary and, in this instance,
heart-impelled honors, and the health of the newly-arrived guest
being drunk, as "The Hero of the Valley of the Miami," Mr. McKenzie
took the occasion to remark:

"I have heard much of the prowess evinced by Captain Wells, both
against General St. Clair's army and while acting with that of
General Wayne, and should like much to know from his own lips
whether report speaks correctly of him or not. Come, captain, the
opportunity may not soon occur again--will you indulge us?"

"Willingly," returned the captain, raising his tall and herculean
frame in his chair and draining off his claret; "As you say, the
opportunity may not again soon occur; there is something here,"
and he pointed with his finger to his breast, "that tells me that
of the many fights in which I have been engaged, that of to-morrow
will be the last."

All looked grave, but no one answered. Each seemed to think that
such would be his own individual case.

"Pass the wine, Headley," resumed his relative. "Gentlemen, you
must not expect me to enter into a history of all my old fights,
both against and in defence of my own country. That would occupy
me until to-morrow morning; and you know we have other work cut
out for us. I will simply give you an outline--a very skeleton of
the causes which found me first fighting against St. Clair, and
subsequently in the ranks of Wayne."

Without encroaching on the patience of the readers of this tale by
using his precise words, it can only be necessary here to give an
epitome of the military career of Captain William Wells, which was
indeed one of no ordinary kind. He was a native of Kentucky, and
in early boyhood--being scarcely ten years of age--had been taken
prisoner, during a foray into that then wild state by the Miami
Indians. Being a boy of remarkable symmetry, resolution, and
intelligence, he was greatly noticed by one of the principal chiefs
of the tribe, who adopted him as a son, and trained him to battle,
into which he invariably