fully believed that our hour was come.

There was no interruption to the dance, which the Indians carried on in
the parlor, leaping and yelling as if they would bring down the roof
over our heads. In vain we tried to persuade my husband and the
children, through a crevice of the door, to come and join us. The
latter, feeling no danger, were too much delighted with the exhibition
to leave it, and the former only came for a moment to reassure me, and
then judged it wisest to return, and manifest his satisfaction at the
compliment by his presence. He made light of our fears, and would not
admit that the object of our suspicions was in fact a Sauk, but only
some young Winnebago, who had, as is sometimes the custom, imitated them
in costume and appearance.

It may have been "good fun" to him to return to his village and tell how
he frightened "the white squaws." Such a trick would not be unnatural in
a white youth, and perhaps, since human nature is everywhere the same,
it might not be out of the way in an Indian.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS.

The danger had now become so imminent that my husband determined to send
his family to Fort Howard, a point which was believed to be far out of
the range of the enemy. It was in vain that I pleaded to be permitted to
remain; he was firm.

"I must not leave my post," said he, "while there is any danger. My
departure would perhaps be the signal for an immediate alliance of the
Winnebagoes with the Sauks. I am certain that as long as I am here my
presence will act as a restraint upon them. You wish to remain and share
my dangers! Your doing so would expose us both to certain destruction in
case of attack By the aid of my friends in both tribes, I could hope to
preserve my own life if I were alone; but surrounded by my family, that
would be impossible--we should all fall victims together. My duty
plainly is, to send you to a place of safety."

An opportunity for doing this soon occurred. Paquette, the Interpreter,
who was likewise an agent of the American Fur Company, had occasion to
send a boat-load of furs to Green Bay, on their way to Mackinac. Mr.
Kinzie, having seen it as comfortably fitted up as an open boat of that
description could be, with a tent-cloth fastened on a frame-work of
hoop-poles over the centre and lined with a dark-green blanket, and
having placed on board an abundant store of provisions and other
comforts, committed us to the joint care