e raids along the Ohio he had witnessed the burning of a
white man at the stake; the scene was so horrifying to him that he made
his associates promise never to torture another person. The spoils of
the hunt he divided with the aged and unfortunate. At the time of the
Prophet's rise he had already matched his prowess in battle against such
men as Simon Kenton and his associates and had proven both his skill as
a tactician and his courage as a fighter.

An illustration of Tecumseh's chivalry toward his foes, is pleasingly
set forth in Smith's _Historical Sketches of Old Vincennes_; "Early in
the year 1811, Governor Harrison, with a view to ascertaining the cause
of the dissatisfaction of the Prophet, and, if possible, pacify him,
deputed one of his most sagacious and trusty advisers with a competent
interpreter to hold a council with him and his chiefs, including his
brother warrior chief, Tecumseh. It is learned from history that these
gentlemen arrived at the village one evening and were received in an
apparently friendly manner by the Prophet and assigned a tent for the
night with an appointment for a council the next morning. It is said the
Prophet's wife was considered a queen among the Indian women, as well as
by her husband. Before retiring for the night the interpreter observed
an unusual stir among the squaws, and motions made toward their tent,
and caught menacing glances and gestures toward them, and so told the
ambassador, but he made light of the matter and the interpreter's
suspicions that treachery was intended, and when night came on he was
soon asleep in peace and quiet. But not so with the vigilant
interpreter, who kept awake and had his guns near at hand. About
midnight a tap was heard at the door and his name, in the Shawnee
language, was called. He found Tecumseh at the door. He had called to
warn him of impending assassination by the queen and squaws, who had
held a council and determined on their death in spite of the protests of
himself and others who told them it would be base treachery to kill
messengers of peace who were their visitors. He told the visitors to
rise and go with him. They went silently through the village and down
into a wooded ravine near the river, where a noise was made as if to
call wild turkeys, sounds well recognized by all hunters in early days;
an answer was returned, and soon two men appeared with the ambassador's
horses, which they speedily mounted and rode swiftly away,