ishment was not
greater than my joy to see them living and well. I eagerly listened to
their story, which was as follows:

"When we arrived near to the encampment of the whites, a number of them
rushed out to meet us, bringing their guns with them. They took us into
the camp, when an American who spoke the Sac language a little, told us
that his chief wanted to know how we were, where we were going, where
our camp was, and where Black Hawk was. We told him that we had come to
see his chief: that our chief had directed us to conduct him to our
camp, in case he had not encamped; and in that event to tell him, that
he (Black Hawk) would come to see him; he wished to hold a council with
him, as he had given up all intention of going to war. At the conclusion
of this talk, a party of white men came in on horseback. We saw by
their countenances that something had happened. A general tumult arose.
They looked at us with indignation--talked among themselves for a
moment, when several cocked their guns; in a second they fired at us in
the crowd; our companion fell dead. We rushed through the crowd and made
our escape. We remained in ambush but a short time, before we heard
yelling, like Indians running an enemy. In a little while we saw some of
the whites in full speed. One of them came near us. I threw my tomahawk
and struck him on the head, which brought him to the ground. I ran to
him and with his own knife took off his scalp. I took his gun, mounted
his horse, and took my friend here behind me. We turned to follow our
braves, who were running the enemy, and had not gone far before we
overtook a white man, whose horse had mired in a swamp. My friend
alighted and tomahawked the man, who was apparently fast under his
horse. He took his scalp, horse and gun. By this time our party was some
distance ahead. We followed on and saw several white men lying dead on
the way. After riding about six miles, we met our party returning. We
asked them how many of our men had been killed. They said none after the
Americans had retreated. We inquired then how many whites had been
killed? They replied they did not know; but said we will soon ascertain,
as we must scalp them as we go back. On our return we found ten men,
besides the two we had killed before we joined our friends. Seeing that
they did not yet recognize us, it being dark, we again asked, how many
of our braves had been killed? They said five. We asked who they were.
They replied t