ears of corn were heaped high at the
window, and, pushing himself down among them until he was hidden to the
shoulders, he looked out.

CHAPTER XXI

THE BATTLE OF PIQUA

The window, doubtless intended merely for letting in air, was very
small, but Henry had a fine view of a wide open space, evidently the
central court of the village. It was grassy and shady, with large oak
and beech trees. About fifteen yards from the corncrib burned a fire,
meant for light rather than heat, as the night was warm. Around it were
gathered about fifty men, of whom six or seven were white, although they
were tanned by exposure almost to the darkness of Indians.

Henry knew a number of them well. Upon a slightly raised seat sat
Timmendiquas, the famous White Lightning of the Wyandots. He wore only
the waist cloth, and the great muscles of his chest and arms were
revealed by the firelight. His head was thrown back as if in defiance,
and above it rose a single red feather twined in the scalp lock. Just
beyond Timmendiquas sat Moluntha, the Shawnee; Captain Pipe and Captain
White Eyes, the Delawares; Yellow Panther, the Miami, and Red Eagle, the
Shawnee. Beyond them were Simon Girty, Braxton Wyatt, Moses Blackstaffe
and the other renegades. There was also a Mohawk chief at the head of a
small detachment sent by Thayendanegea. All the chiefs were in war paint
tattooed to the last note of Indian art.

Henry knew from the number of chiefs present and the gravity of their
faces that this was a council of great importance. He heard at first
only the rumble of their voices, but when he had become used to the
place, and had listened attentively he was able to discern the words.
Timmendiquas, true to his brave and fierce nature, was urging the allied
chiefs to stay and fight Clark for Chillicothe. In the East before the
battle on the Chemung, he had been in a sense a visitor, and he had
deferred to the great Iroquois, Thayendanegea, but here he was first,
the natural leader, and he spoke with impassioned fervor. As Henry
looked he rose, and swinging a great tomahawk to give emphasis to his
words, he said:

"The one who retreats does not find favor with Manitou. It is he who
stays and fights. It is true that we were defeated in the battle across
from Tuentahahewaghta (the site of Cincinnati), but with great warriors
a defeat is merely the beginning of the way that leads to victory in the
end. This is the greatest town of our race in all