that it was only fifteen days after the plan was first
laid that he succeeded in gaining possession of all but three; that is,
he surprised ten out of thirteen forts. Of course, the attacks were made
by other chiefs, under his directions, as Pontiac could not be at all
the simultaneous assaults."

"Did he murder the garrisons, Capt. Sinclair?" said Alfred.

"The major portion of them: some were spared, and afterward were
ransomed at high prices. I ought to have mentioned as a singular
instance of the advance of this chief in comparison with other Indians,
that at this time he issued bills of credit on slips of bark, signed
with his totem, the otter; and that these bills, unlike many of more
civilized society, were all taken up and paid."

"That is very remarkable in a savage," observed Mrs. Campbell; "but how
did this Pontiac contrive to surprise all the forts?"

"Almost the whole of them were taken by a singular stratagem. The
Indians are very partial to, and exceedingly dexterous at, a game called
the 'Baggatiway:' it is played with a ball and a long-handled sort of
racket. They divide into two parties, and the object of each party is to
drive the ball to their own goal. It is something like hurley in England
or golf in Scotland. Many hundreds are sometimes engaged on both sides;
and the Europeans are so fond of seeing the activity and dexterity shown
by the Indians at this game, that it was very common to request them to
play it, when they happened to be near the forts. Upon this, Pontiac
arranged his plan, which was that his Indians should commence the game
of ball under the forts, and after playing a short time, strike the ball
into the fort: of course, some of them would go in for it; and having
done this two or three times, and recommenced the play to avoid
suspicion, they were to strike it over again, and follow it up by a rush
after it through the gates: and then, when they were all in, they would
draw their concealed weapons, and overpower the unsuspicious garrison."

"It was certainly a very ingenious stratagem," observed Mrs. Campbell.

"And it succeeded, as I have observed, except on three forts. The one
which Pontiac directed the attack upon himself, and which was that which
he was most anxious to obtain, was Detroit, in which, as I have before
observed, my uncle was garrisoned; but there he failed, and by a
singular circumstance."

"Pray tell us how, Captain Sinclair," said Emma; "you don't know how