ntlets to wear if he felt desirous to
conceal the wound from the observation of his fellow warriors. This
done, and his letter to his wife folded and given to the safe
guardianship of the boy, with whom he made his final arrangements
for a reunion as circumstances might render prudent and expedient,
he finally drew him to his heart, and expressed in tones that could
not fail to carry conviction of their truth as well as deep
gratification to the generous heart of Wau-nan-gee the extent of
his gratitude and friendship.

When the young Indian had departed, not before renewing his strong
persuasion to induce the officer to accompany him to his wife,
Ronayne, determining that no mistake should occur in the compliance
of both his directions to Corporal Collins, once more ascended to
the bastion from which, he had soon the satisfaction to see
Wau-nan-gee glide away in the direction of his encampment, until
his figure was soon lost in the distance.

CHAPTER XX.

"Mounted upon a hot and fiery steed which his aspiring rider
seemed to know."
--_Richard II._

As if in mockery of the climax of trial they were to be made to
undergo before its close, the 15th of August, 1812, dawned upon
the inmates of Fort Dearborn with a brilliancy even surpassing that
of the preceding day. Well do we, who chronicle these events,
recollect it; for while the little garrison, in recording whose
fate we take not less an interest than our readers can in the
perusal, were preparing to march out of the fort--to abandon scenes
and associations to which long habit had endeared them, and with
the almost certainty of meeting death at every step, we stood at
the battery which vomited destruction into the stronghold of him
who had counselled and commanded the advance upon Fort Wayne. It
has been a vulgar belief, fostered by his enemies, by those who
were desirous of relieving themselves from the odium of participation,
and of rising to power and consideration by the condemnation of
their chief, that the position of General Hull was one fraught with
advantage to himself and of disadvantage to his enemies. Nothing
can be more incorrect. The batteries, to which we have alluded,
had so completely attained the range of the Fort of Detroit, in
the small area of which were cooped up a force of nearly twenty-five
hundred men, that every shot that was fired told with terrible
effect, and not less than three officers of the small regular force