The next morning Lucilla woke early—as was usual with her—and presently joined her father upon the deck. He greeted her, as was his custom, with a smile and a tender caress, asking if she were quite well and had passed a comfortable night.
"Yes, papa," she said; "I slept as soundly as possible, and feel perfectly well this morning; as I hope you do."
"I do, for I also enjoyed a good night's rest and sleep."
The yacht was moving, and Lucilla remarked it with some surprise.
"I thought we were lying at anchor," she said.
"So we were through the night," replied her father, "but now we are travelling toward Fort Meigs—or perhaps I should rather say its ruins."
"Oh, that will be an interesting spot to visit!" exclaimed Lucilla."Just where is it, papa?"
"On the Maumee River, opposite Maumee City, situated at the head of river navigation, eight miles from Toledo."
"Wasn't it somewhere in that region that Wayne fought one or more of his battles with the Indians?"
"Yes; he took possession of and fortified the place where St. Clair was defeated, and called it Fort Recovery. That was in 1794. On the 30th of June he was attacked by about a thousand Indians with some British soldiers and Canadian volunteers, who assailed the garrison several times. Fifty-seven Americans were killed, wounded, and missing; also 221 horses. The Indians said they lost more than in their battle with St. Clair.
"A few weeks later Wayne was joined by Major-General Scott with 1600 mounted volunteers from Kentucky, and two days later he moved forward with his whole force toward the Maumee. Remembering the sad fate of St. Clair and his men, Wayne moved very cautiously; so slowly and stealthily that the Indians called him the 'Black Snake.' He had faithful, competent scouts and guides, and he moved by unfrequented ways, with perplexing feints. Twenty-five miles beyond Fort Recovery he built Fort Adams. Again he moved forward for four days, then encamped on a beautiful plain at the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers, on the site of the present town of Defiance; I presume from the fort Wayne built there, and which he called Fort Defiance. He found there a deserted Indian town with at least a thousand acres of corn growing around it. Wayne was now in full possession of power to subjugate and destroy the Indians, but, unwilling to shed blood unnecessarily, he sent them a message with kind words. 'Be no longer deceived or led astray by false promises and language of bad white men at the foot of the rapids; they have neither the power nor the inclination to protect you.'
"He offered them peace and tranquillity, and invited them to send deputies to meet him in council without delay.
"But they rejected his overtures, and said in reply, 'Stay where you are for ten days, and we will treat with you; but if you advance we will give you battle.'
"Wayne was, however, too wise and wary to be deceived by them. He saw that nothing but a severe blow would break the spirit of the tribes and end the war, and, as Lossing says, he resolved to inflict it mercilessly.
"On the 15th of August his legion moved forward, and on the 18th took post at the head of the rapids, near the present town of Waterville, where they established a magazine of supplies and baggage, protected by military works, and named it Fort Deposit. There, on the 19th, Wayne called a council of war and adopted a plan of march and battle proposed by Lieutenant Harrison."
"Afterward general, papa?"
"Yes, nineteen years later he had become general-in-chief, and performed gallant exploits in this same valley of the Maumee.
"The next morning after that council, at eight o'clock, Wayne advanced according to that plan. They had gone forward about five miles when the advance corps, under Major Price, was terribly smitten by heavy volleys from the concealed foe and compelled to fall back. The enemy was full 2000 strong—composed of Indians and Canadian volunteers, and they were arranged in three lines within supporting distance of each other.
"Wayne's legion was immediately formed in two lines, principally in a dense wood on the borders of a wet prairie, where a large number of trees had been prostrated by a tornado, which made the movements of cavalry very difficult, besides affording a fine covert for the enemy. But Wayne's troops fell upon them with fearful energy, soon making them flee, like a herd of frightened deer, toward Fort Miami."
"The fort the British had built upon our ground without so much as saying by your leave?"
"The very same. They reached it by a hasty flight of two miles through the thick woods, leaving forty of their number dead on the way, by the side of each of whom lay a musket and bayonet from British armories.
"Three days and three nights Wayne and his army remained below the rapids, making such desolation as seemed necessary for the subjugation of the hostile Indians and the treacherous Britains and Canadians; all that in defiance of the threats of the commandant of Fort Miami, though his guns were within view of the American tents. He—Colonel McKee—was the chief instigator of the war with the Indians, with whom he was carrying on a most lucrative trade, and he had there extensive storehouses and dwellings. These our troops set fire to and destroyed, as they did all the products of the fields and gardens."
"That seems a pity, papa, but I suppose it was necessary."
"Yes; as no doubt those British men well knew. Wayne's men sometimes were within pistol-shot of Fort Miami, but its guns kept silence. The commander did a good deal of scolding and threatening; Wayne coolly defied him and retorted with vigor. But neither went any farther.
"Wayne and his troops remained there until the middle of September, when they went to the head of the Maumee; and at the bend of the river, just below the confluence of the St. Mary's and St. Joseph's, which form it, they built a strong fortification and called it Fort Wayne. By the latter part of October it was finished and garrisoned with infantry and artillery, under Colonel Hamtramck.
"The rest of the troops then left, some for Fort Washington, to be discharged from the service, and others for Fort Greenville, where Wayne made his headquarters for the winter. There the various tribes with whom he had been at war came to him—by deputations—and agreed upon preliminary terms of peace. They remembered that he had assured them that the British had neither the power nor the inclination to help them—and how that assurance had been verified by the silence of the guns of Fort Miami.
"They promised to meet him in council early the next summer, and did so. Early in June chiefs and sachems began to reach Fort Greenville, and on the 16th of that month a grand council was opened there. Almost 1100 Indians were present, and the council continued until the 10th of August. On the 3d of that month a satisfactory treaty was signed by all parties. And by a special treaty between the United States and Great Britain the western military posts were soon evacuated by the British, and for fifteen years the most remote frontier settlements were safe from any annoyance by the Indians."
"And that encouraged emigration to the Northwestern Territory, did it not, papa?" asked Lucilla.
"Yes," he said, "and in consequence the country grew rapidly in population of a hardy kind."
"Until the War of 1812."
"Yes; and it was in that war that Harrison did so much to distinguish himself as a patriot and a brave and skilful officer."
"And it was then he built the Fort Meigs you are taking us to, papa?"
"Yes; at the Maumee Rapids in February, 1813. It was named for ReturnJonathan Meigs, who was then Governor of Ohio."
"Return Jonathan! what an odd name!"
"Yes, and there is an odd story connected with it. Years before the Revolution a bright-eyed coquette was courted by Jonathan Meigs. On one occasion he pressed his suit with great earnestness and asked for a positive answer. She would not give it, but feigned coolness, and he—growing discouraged—resolved to be trifled with no longer, so bade her farewell forever. He took his departure, but had not gone far down the lane when she ran after him and at the gate called out, 'Return Jonathan; return Jonathan!'
"He did go back to her; they afterward married, and were very happy together; and when the first son was born they named him Return Jonathan.
"He was born in 1740; was the heroic Colonel Meigs who did such valiant service in the Revolutionary War, and was one of the early settlers of Ohio, going there in 1788. His son Return Jonathan was elected Governor of Ohio in 1810 and held that office until 1814.
"Harrison arrived at Fort Meigs on the 12th of April, 1813, and was glad to find there 200 Pennsylvanians, patriotic men, who, though anxious to go home to put in their spring seeds, assured him that they would never leave him until he thought their services could be spared without danger to the cause. He discharged them on the arrival of three Kentucky companies.
"While on his way Harrison had been told of frequent appearances of Indian scouts in the neighborhood of the rapids, and of little skirmishes with what he supposed to be the advance of a more powerful foe. That alarmed him, and he despatched a messenger to Governor Shelby of Kentucky asking him to send to the Maumee the whole of the 3000 men who had been drafted in that State. He brought with him about 300 men in all, but was agreeably surprised to find, on his arrival, that there were no signs of the enemy being near in great force.
"But that enemy was at that very time preparing to strike a destructive blow at Fort Meigs. Tecumseh was even then at Fort Malden with almost 1500 Indians. Proctor had fired his zeal and that of his brother, who was called the Prophet, by promises of future success in their schemes for confederating the tribes, and boasting of his ample power to place Fort Meigs with its garrison and immense stores in the hands of his Indian allies.
"Proctor was delighted with this response of the savages to his call, and had fine visions of the victory he was going to gain, and the glory and promotion it would bring him. He was more boastful than ever, and treated the Americans at Detroit in a supercilious manner. He ordered the Canadians to assemble at Sandwich on the 7th of April and told them the campaign would be short, decisive, successful, and profitable."
"How did he know!" exclaimed Lucilla scornfully.
"He did not," said her father; "events shortly following showed it to have been but idle boasting. That boast was made on the 7th of April. On the 23d his army and his savage allies embarked on a brig and several smaller vessels, accompanied by two gunboats and some artillery. On the 26th they were at the mouth of the Maumee, about twelve miles below Fort Meigs, and two days later they landed on the left bank of the river near old Fort Miami, and established their main camp there.
"Captain Hamilton of the Ohio troops was reconnoitring down the river with a small force on the 28th, when he discovered the enemy there in force. They were first seen by Peter Navarre, one of Harrison's most trusty scouts. Hamilton sent him in haste to Fort Meigs with the news, and Harrison at once despatched him with three letters—one for Governor Meigs at Urbana, one for Upper Sandusky, and one for Lower Sandusky. Fort Meigs was quite strong—had intrenchments, pickets, several blockhouses, and a good supply of field-pieces; but from the account he had had of the character and strength of the enemy, Harrison considered it in imminent peril. He knew that General Clay was on his march with his Kentuckians, and immediately after despatching Navarre with his letters, he sent Captain William Oliver, the commissary of the fort, and a brave, judicious, and intelligent officer, with a verbal message to Clay urging him to press forward by forced marches.
"Oliver found General Clay at Defiance with 1200 Kentuckians. At St.Mary's blockhouse Clay divided his brigade. He descended the St. Maryhimself with Colonel Boswell's corps, while Dudley went down theAuglaize.
"The two divisions were to meet at Defiance. But before Dudley had reached that point he heard of Harrison's perilous position at Fort Meigs. A council of officers was called, and it was resolved to send Harrison word that succor was at hand. It was a very dangerous errand and required someone who was well acquainted with the country. Leslie Combs, a brave, patriotic young man, whom Clay had commissioned captain of a company of riflemen as spies or scouts, volunteered to go.
"'When we reach Fort Defiance,' he said, 'if you will furnish me a good canoe, I will carry your despatches to General Harrison, and return with his orders. I shall only require four or five volunteers from my own company.' His offer was joyfully accepted by Dudley. The next morning, May 1, they reached Defiance, and as soon as a canoe could be procured, Combs and his companions—Paxton, Johnson, and two brothers named Walker—started on their perilous errand. They had with them also a Shawnee warrior named Black Fish. He took the helm, the other four the oars, while Combs was at the bow in charge of the rifles and ammunition.
"As they pushed off from Fort Defiance there were cheers and sad adieus, for few thought they would ever see them again. It was a dangerous voyage; rain was falling fast and the night was intensely dark. Combs was determined to reach Fort Meigs before daylight the next morning. They passed the rapids in safety, but not till quite late in the morning, and then heard heavy cannonading in the direction of the fort. That told them that the siege had begun, which made an attempt to reach the fort far more perilous than it would otherwise have been.
"Combs had now a hard choice to make. It would be prudent to go back, but would not seem courageous, while to stay where they were till the next night, or to go on at once, seemed equally hazardous. But he was very brave and soon came to a decision. 'We must go on, boys,' he said; 'and if you expect the honor of taking coffee with General Harrison this morning, you must work hard for it.'
"He knew the weakness of the garrison and feared it could not hold out long. Therefore great was his joy when, on sweeping round Turkey Point, at the last bend in the river, he saw the Stripes and Stars waving over the beleaguered camp. His little company evinced their delight by a suppressed shout. That was a sad mistake, for, suddenly, a solitary Indian appeared in the edge of the woods, and in another moment a large body of them could be seen in the gray shadows of the forest, running eagerly to a point below to cut off Combs and his party from the fort.
"He attempted to dart by them, when a volley of bullets wounded Paxton and Johnson—the latter mortally. The fire was returned with effect, then the Shawnee turned the prow to the opposite shore, and the voyagers left the canoe and fled toward Defiance. They tried to take Johnson and Paxton with them, but found it impossible, so were compelled to leave them to become captives.
"At the end of two days and two nights Combs and Black Fish reached Defiance, where they found Clay and his troops just arrived. The Walkers were there also, having fled more swiftly than Combs and the Indian had been able to because of their efforts to aid the flight of the two wounded men. They had suffered terribly in their flight, and for a time Combs was unable to take command of his company, but he went down the river with the re-enforcements and took an active part in the fight at Fort Meigs.
"But, ah, here come others of our party, and I must leave the rest of my story to be told later in the day," added the captain, turning to greet Violet and his younger children, who at that moment appeared upon the deck.
Shortly after breakfast, when the whole of their little company had gathered beneath the awning upon the deck, the captain resumed his story, as all had expressed a desire to hear it.
"On the morning of the 30th of April, 1813," he said, "the British had completed two batteries nearly opposite Fort Meigs and mounted their ordnance. On one there were two twenty-four pounders, on the other three howitzers. Well-directed round-shot from the fort had struck some of their men while at work, but neither that nor the drenching rain stopped them.
"Harrison had been busy too. He addressed his soldiers eloquently in a general order.
"'Can the citizens of a free country, who have taken arms to defend its rights,' he said, 'think of submitting to an army composed of mercenary soldiers, reluctant Canadians goaded to the field by the bayonet, and of wretched, naked savages? Can the breast of an American soldier, when he casts his eye to the opposite shore, the scene of his country's triumphs over the same foe, be influenced by any other feeling than the hope of glory? Is not this army composed of the same materials as that which fought and conquered under the immortal Wayne? Yes, fellow soldiers, your general sees your countenances beam with the same fire that he witnessed on that glorious occasion; and although it would be the height of presumption to compare himself with that hero, he boasts of being that hero's pupil. To your posts then, fellow citizens, and remember that the eyes of your country are upon you.'
"That general order was given on the morning that the British made their appearance, and when he saw that they were erecting batteries on the opposite shore that would command his works, he directed his men to make a traverse, or wall of earth, on the highest ground through the middle of his camp. It had a base of twenty feet, was three hundred yards long and twelve feet high. While they were at the work it was concealed by the tents, which when it was finished were suddenly removed to its rear.
"Then the British engineer perceived, to his great mortification, that his labor had been almost in vain. Instead of an exposed camp from which Proctor had boasted that he would soon smoke out the Yankees,—meaning quickly destroy it with shot and shell,—he saw only an immense shield of earth which hid the Americans and thoroughly sheltered them.
"Proctor then changed his plans somewhat and sent a considerable force of white men under Captain Muir, and Indians under Tecumseh, to the eastern side of the river, under cover of the gunboats, to attack the fort in the rear.
"The British batteries were silent through the night, but a gunboat, towed up the river near the fort under cover of darkness, fired thirty shots. The only effect, however, was an increase of the vigilance of the Americans. The next morning, though it was raining heavily, the British opened a severe cannonade and bombardment upon Fort Meigs, which they continued with slight intermissions for about five days; but without doing much injury to the fort or garrison.
"Occasionally our men returned the fire by eighteen-pounders. But their supply of shot for these and the twelve-pounders was very small, and as they did not know how long the siege might last, it was thought best to use them very sparingly.
"The British seemed to have powder, balls, and shells in great abundance, and they poured a perfect storm of missiles—not less than five hundred—upon the fort the first day and until eleven o'clock at night."
"And was nobody hurt, papa?" asked Elsie.
"One or two of the garrison were killed," replied her father, "and Major Stoddard of the First Regiment, a soldier of the Revolution, was so badly wounded by a shell that he died ten days later of lockjaw.
"The British were building a third battery on the other side of the river; they finished it that night, and all the next day kept up a brisk cannonade.
"Within the next twenty-four hours a fourth battery was opened. The British had been making mounds in the thickets near the angles of the fort, and that night a detachment of artillerists and engineers crossed the river and mounted guns and mortars upon them. One was a mortar battery, the other a three-gun gun battery. The Americans had expected something of the kind, and had raised traverses in time to foil their enemy; and when toward noon of the 3d the three cannon and the howitzers suddenly began firing upon the rear angles of the fort, they did scarcely any damage.
"A few shots by our men from their eighteen-pounders soon silenced the gun battery, and the British hastily moved the cannon and placed them near the ravine. During the 3d they hurled shot and shell steadily upon the fort, but with so little effect that the besiegers grew discouraged, and on the 4th the fire was not nearly so constant.
"Then Proctor sent Major Chambers with a demand for the surrender of the fort, and Harrison promptly responded, 'Tell General Proctor that if he shall take the fort it will be under circumstances that will do him more honor than a thousand surrenders.'
"The cannonade from the fort was feeble because of the scarcity of ammunition, but the guns were admirably managed, and did good execution at every discharge. Captain Wood wrote, 'With plenty of it we should have blown John Bull from the Miami.'
"The Americans showed their ability to keep their foe at bay by frequently mounting the ramparts, swinging their hats, and shouting defiance at their besiegers. They were well supplied with food and water and could afford to spend time and weary their assailants by merely defensive warfare.
"Still Harrison was anxious, thinking how strong were the foe, and how Hull and Winchester had failed and suffered; he was looking hourly and anxiously up the Maumee for the hoped for re-enforcements. Since Navarre and Oliver went out he had heard nothing from those whom he had expected to come to his aid. But near midnight on the 4th, Captain Oliver, Major Trimble, and 15 men who had come down the river in a boat, made their way into the fort, bringing the glad tidings that General Clay and 1100 Kentuckians would probably reach the post before morning, being but eighteen miles distant.
"The cannonading at Fort Meigs was distinctly heard at Fort Winchester, where Oliver had found Clay on the 3d, and Clay was hastening as fast as possible to Harrison's aid, moving down the river in eighteen flat scows, with sides furnished with shields against the bullets of the Indians who might be infesting the shores of the river.
"The head of the rapids was eighteen miles from Fort Meigs; it was late in the evening when the flotilla arrived there; the moon had gone down, and the sky was overcast with clouds, making a night so intensely dark that the pilot refused to go on before daylight. Trimble and the 15 others then immediately offered their services to go with Oliver to cheer Harrison and his men with the news that re-enforcements were almost at hand.
"It was joyful news to them. Harrison at once despatched Captain Hamilton and a subaltern in a canoe with an order to Clay bidding him detach about 800 men from his brigade and land them at a point about a mile or a mile and a half above Fort Meigs. The detachment was then to be conducted to the British batteries on the left bank of the river. These batteries were to be taken, the cannon spiked, and carriages cut down. The troops must then return to the boats and cross over to the fort.
"The rest of his men were to land on the fort side of the river, opposite the first landing, and fight their way into the fort through the Indians. Harrison knew that the British force at the batteries was not large, the main body being still near the old Fort Miami, and that the bulk of the Indians with Tecumseh were on the eastern side of the river. His object was to strike effective blows on both sides of the stream at the same time.
"While these orders of his were being carried out, he intended to make a sally from the fort, destroy the batteries in the rear, and disperse or capture the whole British force on that side of the river.
"Clay came down the river early the next morning, and about five miles above the fort Hamilton met him with Harrison's order. Clay then directed Dudley to take the twelve front boats and carry out Harrison's commands in regard to the British batteries, while he should hasten forward and perform the part assigned to him.
"Colonel Dudley landed his detachment in fine order, and they gained the plain on which Maumee City now stands, unseen by the enemy, formed for marching in three parallel columns, one led by Dudley, one by Major Shelby, the other by Acting-Major Morrison. Captain Combs with 30 riflemen, including 7 friendly Indians, flanked in front fully a hundred yards distant. Thus they moved through the woods a mile and a half toward the British batteries, which were still firing upon Fort Meigs.
"There was a prospect of capturing the whole force, but Dudley had unfortunately failed to inform his men of his exact plans, and that was a fatal mistake. Shelby's column, according to his orders, moved on to a point between the British batteries and their camp below, when the right column, led by Dudley in person, raised the horrid Indian yell, rushed forward, charged with vehemence upon the enemy, captured the heavy guns, and spiked eleven of them without losing a man.
"At the same time the riflemen had been attacked by the Indians, and, not having been told that they were to fall back upon the main body, thought it their duty to fight. That was a fatal mistake, as the main object of the expedition was already fully accomplished, although the batteries were not destroyed. The British flag was pulled down, and as it reached the earth loud huzzahs went up from Fort Meigs. Harrison, who was watching from his chief battery, with intense interest, now signaled Dudley to fall back to the boats and cross the river according to his former orders.
"Probably Dudley did not see it, but he did see the Indians in ambush attacking Combs and his riflemen, and with a quick and generous impulse ordered them to be re-enforced. In response to that a great part of the right and centre columns rushed into the woods in considerable disorder, their colonel with them. It did not matter much at first, for, though they were undisciplined and disorderly, they soon put the Indians to flight, thus relieving Combs and his men; but, forgetting prudence, they pursued the flying savages almost to the British camp.
"When they started on that pursuit Shelby's men still had possession of the batteries, but the British artillerists, largely re-enforced, soon returned and recaptured them, taking some of the Kentuckians prisoners and driving the others toward their boats. The Indians, too, were re-enforced, came back, and fiercely attacked Dudley and his men, who were in such utter confusion that it was impossible to command them. Shelby had rallied those that were left of his column and marched them to Dudley's aid; but they only participated in the confusion and flight. That became a precipitate and disorderly rout, and the greater part of Dudley's command were killed or captured. Dudley himself was overtaken, tomahawked, and scalped. Of the 800 who followed him from the boats, only 170 escaped to Fort Meigs. Captain Combs and his spies were among those who were taken and marched to Fort Miami as prisoners of war."
"Oh, how dreadful it all was!" sighed Grace. "I hope the other two parties had better success."
"Yes," her father said; "while what I have just been telling you was taking place on the left bank of the river, General Clay had tried to land the six remaining boats under his command nearly opposite the spot where Dudley had debarked with his; but the current, swollen by the heavy rains, was very swift, and drove five of them ashore. The sixth, in which were General Clay and Captain Peter Dudley, with fifty men, separated from the rest, kept the stream, and finally landed on the eastern bank of the river opposite to Hollister's Island. There they were fired upon by round-shot from the batteries opposite and by a crowd of Indians on the left flank of the fort.
"Clay and his party returned the attack of the Indians with spirit, and reached the fort without the loss of a man.
"Colonel Boswell's command landed near Turkey Point. The same Indians who fired upon Clay and his men now attacked these. Boswell and his men marched boldly over the low plain, fought the savages on the slopes and brow of the high plateau most gallantly, and reached the fort without much loss. He was greeted with shouts of applause and thanks, and met by a sallying party coming out to join him in a prompt attack upon that portion of the enemy whom he had just been fighting. There was only a moment's delay. Then they went out, fell upon the savages furiously, drove them half a mile into the woods at the point of the bayonet, and utterly routed them. So zealous were the victors that they would in all probability have made the same mistake that poor Dudley did, had not Harrison, watching them through a spyglass, on one of his batteries, and seeing a body of British and Indians gliding swiftly along the borders of the wood, sent an aide to recall them. He—the aide—was a gallant young fellow, and though he had a horse shot under him, he succeeded in communicating the general's orders in time to enable the detachment to return without much loss.
"Now General Harrison ordered a sortie from the fort against the enemy's works on the right, near the deep ravine. Three hundred and fifty men were engaged in that, and behaved with the greatest bravery. Lossing says, 'They charged with the fiercest impetuosity upon the motley foe, 850 strong, drove them from their batteries at the point of the bayonet, spiked their guns, and scattered them in confusion in the woods beyond the ravine toward the site of the present village of Perrysburg.' It was a desperate fight, and Miller lost several of his brave men. At one time Sebree's company were surrounded by four times their number of Indians, and their destruction seemed inevitable. But Gwynne of the Nineteenth, seeing their peril, rushed to their rescue with a part of Elliot's company, and they were saved. The victors returned to the fort, having accomplished their object, and bringing with them 43 prisoners. They were followed by the enemy, who had rallied in considerable force. After that day's fighting, the siege of Fort Meigs was virtually abandoned by Proctor. He was much disheartened, and his Indian allies deserted him; the Canadian militia did likewise."
"Was Tecumseh one of the deserters, papa?" asked Lucilla.
"No; but probably it was only his commission and pay as a brigadier in the British Army that kept him from being one. He had hated General Harrison intensely since the battle of Tippecanoe, in 1811, and was to have had him at this time as his peculiar trophy. He had been promised that, and the territory of Michigan had been promised his brother, the Prophet, as a reward for his services in the capture of Fort Meigs.
"Beside all these discouraging things, news came to Proctor that Fort George, on the Niagara frontier, was in the hands of the Americans and that the little army of Fort Meigs was soon to be re-enforced from Ohio. He saw nothing before him but the capture or dispersion of his troops should he remain, therefore he resolved to flee. But, to conceal that intention, and in order that he might move off with safety, he again sent a demand for the surrender of the fort.
"Harrison regarded it as an intended insult, and requested that it should not be repeated. Proctor attempted to take away with him his unharmed cannon, but a few shots from Fort Meigs caused him to desist and go without them. One of his gunboats, in return, fired, killing several of our men. Among them was Lieutenant Robert Walker, of the Pittsburgh Blues, who was buried within the fort, and his grave may still be seen there, marked by a plain, rough stone with a simple inscription—'Lieutenant Walker, May 9, 1813.'
"Papa, did the British carry off those of our men they had taken prisoners?" asked Elsie.
"Yes; and allowed the savages to rob, ill-treat, and butcher them in the most horrible manner. At Fort Miami they shot, tomahawked and scalped more than 20, besides having murdered and plundered many on the way.
"It was Tecumseh who at last stopped the fiendish work, though not till after more than 40 had fallen. And this horrible work was done in the presence of General Proctor, Colonel Elliot, and other officers, as well as the British guard. They made them run the gauntlet for a distance of forty or fifty feet, killing or maiming them as they went, with pistols, war-clubs, scalping knives, and tomahawks. In that way nearly, if not quite, as many were slaughtered as were killed in battle. When those who still remained alive had got within the fort, the savages raised the war-whoop, and began reloading their guns with the evident intention of resuming their horrid onslaught on the defenceless prisoners, when Tecumseh, being told of what was going on, hurried to the fort as fast as his horse could carry him. 'Where is General Proctor?' he demanded; then seeing him near, he asked why he had not put a stop to the massacre. 'Your Indians cannot be commanded,' replied Proctor, trembling with fear at the rage he saw in the chief's countenance. 'Begone!' retorted Tecumseh in disdain. 'You are not fit to command; go and put on petticoats.'"
"Was Proctor pleased with that answer, papa?" asked Ned, with a look of amusement.
"I think not greatly," replied the captain. "Tecumseh was much disappointed over their failure to take Fort Meigs, and urged Proctor to try again. Proctor did not feel willing, but at length, near the end of June, he consented, and they began making arrangements to do so.
"About that time a Frenchman who had been taken prisoner with Dudley's men escaped from the British, fled to Fort Meigs, and told Clay of the threatened danger. Clay at once sent word to Harrison, who was at Franklinton, and to Governor Meigs, at Chillicothe.
"Harrison believed it was the weaker posts of Lower Sandusky, Erie, or Cleveland, rather than Fort Meigs, they intended to attack. He ordered troops under Colonel Anderson, then at Upper Sandusky, to go at once to Lower Sandusky; also Major Croghan, with a part of the Seventeenth, and Colonel Ball with his squadron of cavalry. He had just held an important council with the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, and Seneca Indians at his headquarters at Franklinton. Circumstances had made him doubt their fidelity, and he required them to take a determined stand for or against the Americans; to remove their families into the interior, or the warriors must go with him in the ensuing campaign and fight for the United States.
"Their spokesman assured the general of their unflinching friendship, and that the warriors were anxious to take part in the campaign. Then Harrison told them he would let them know what he wanted of them. 'But,' he said, 'you must conform to our mode of warfare. You are not to kill defenceless prisoners, old men, women, or children. By your good conduct I shall be able to tell whether the British can restrain their Indians when they wish to do so.'
"Then he told them of Proctor's promise to deliver him into the hands of Tecumseh, and added jestingly, 'Now if I can succeed in taking Proctor, you shall have him for your prisoner, provided you will treat him as a squaw, and only put petticoats upon him, for he must be a coward who would kill a defenceless prisoner.'
"Harrison followed Colonel Anderson and his regiment, and, learning from scouts that numerous Indians were seen on the lower Maumee, he selected 300 men to make a forced march to Fort Meigs. He arrived there himself on the 28th, and sent Colonel Johnson to make a reconnoisance toward the Raisin to procure intelligence. Johnson went, and brought back word that there was no immediate danger of the enemy coming against Fort Meigs in force. Satisfied of that, Harrison left Fort Meigs to attend to duty at other points.
"That was on the 1st of July. Late in that month the British had fully 2500 Indians collected on the banks of the Detroit. These, with the motley force he had already there, made an army of fully 5000 men. Early in July bands of Indians had begun to appear in the vicinity of Fort Meigs, seizing every opportunity for killing and plundering. Tecumseh had become very restless and impatient; wanting to go on the warpath,—especially when he saw so many of his countrymen ready for it,—and he demanded that another attempt should be made to capture Fort Meigs. He made a plan for the attack, and proposed it to Proctor.
"It was that the Indians should be landed several miles below the fort, march through the woods to the road leading from the Maumee to Lower Sandusky, in the rear of Fort Meigs, and there engage in a sham fight. That, he thought, would give the troops in the fort the idea that re-enforcements were coming to them and had been attacked. Then the garrison would sally forth to aid their friends, and would at once be attacked in their turn by Indians lying in ambush, while the other Indians would rush into the fort and take possession before the gates could be closed.
"Proctor consented, thinking it a good plan. On the 20th of July he and Tecumseh appeared with their 5000 men at the mouth of the Maumee. General Clay sent a messenger to Harrison with that news. Harrison was doubtful whether it was Fort Meigs or Fort Stephenson they meant to attack, so removed his quarters to Seneca Town, from which he could co-operate with either. There he commenced fortifying his camp, and was soon joined by 450 United States troops and several officers, while another detachment was approaching with 500 regulars from Fort Massac on the Ohio River.
"On the afternoon of the 25th of July Tecumseh and Proctor tried their plan. The British concealed themselves in the ravine just below Fort Meigs; the Indians took their station on the Sandusky road; and at sunset they began their sham fight. It was so spirited, and accompanied by such terrific yells, that the garrison thought their commander-in-chief must be coming with re-enforcements and that he was attacked by the Indians; and they were very anxious to go out to his aid.
"But Clay was too wise to be taken in. A messenger who had just returned from a second errand to Harrison had had hairbreadth escapes from the Indians swarming in the woods; therefore, though Clay could not account for the firing, he felt certain that no Americans were taking part in the fight. Officers of high rank demanded permission to lead their men to the aid of their friends, and the troops seemed almost ready to mutiny because they were not permitted to go. But Clay remained firm; and well it was for them that he did.
"A few cannon shot were hurled from the fort in the direction of the supposed fight, and a heavy shower of rain came up. That put an end to the fighting, and all was as quiet as usual about Fort Meigs that night.
"Tecumseh's stratagem had failed, and as he and Proctor were ignorant of the strength of the garrison, they thought it best not to try an assault. They lingered in the neighborhood for some thirty hours, then withdrew to the old encampment near Fort Miami; and soon afterward the British embarked with their stores, and sailed for Sandusky Bay with the intention of attacking Fort Stephenson.
"The Indians were to assist in the attack, and a large number marched across the country for that purpose.
"Clay quickly despatched a messenger to Harrison with all this information. But I have already told you of the attack upon Fort Stephenson, and of its brave defence.
"Yes, papa; and it was very interesting," said Elsie. "Have we far to go now to get to Fort Meigs? and is it just as it was when Harrison and his men were there?"
"We may hope to get there soon," replied the captain; "as it is only eight miles above Toledo, and we are nearing that place now. But we shall find only ruins."
"Oh, papa, what a pity!" exclaimed Ned.
"Not a very great pity, I think," said his father. "It is not needed now, and I hope will not be ever again."
"I hope that famous elm tree is there yet," remarked Grandma Elsie.
"I do not know," replied the captain. "But probably it is."
"Oh, what about it, papa?" asked Elsie; and her father answered, "At the beginning of the siege all the water the garrison needed had to be taken from the river. The elm tree was on the opposite side of the river, and the Indians used to climb up and hide themselves in its thick foliage and from there fire across at the water carriers. In that way they killed several of our men. Then the Kentucky riflemen fired at them; and it is said that not less than 6 of them were struck and fell to the ground out of that tree."
"Why didn't our men dig a well?" asked Ned.
"It seems they did afterward, for the place is spoken of as having had a well at the time of the political campaign of 1840, when Harrison was elected President of the United States."
They were now entering the Maumee Bay, and the talk ceased, as all wished to gaze about upon the new scenes as they passed through the bay and up the river. They visited the ruins of Fort Meigs, then took carriages and drove three miles up to Presqu' Isle Hill, alighted there, and wandered over the battlefield of the Fallen Timber.
By tea-time they were again on board theDolphin, which lay at anchor through the night in Maumee Bay. It was a delightful evening, clear and slightly cool on the water, the stars shining, and a gentle breeze stirring; and they sat upon the deck for an hour or more.
"Where are we going to-morrow, papa?" asked Grace in a pause in the conversation, which had been running upon the scenes and adventures of the day.
"To Erie, to view it as the scene of some of Commodore Perry's doings—if that plan suits the wishes of those present," returned her father. "What do you say, mother?"
"That I highly approve," answered Mrs. Travilla's sweet voice.
"As no doubt we all do," added Mrs. Lilburn.
"Yes," said her husband—"even to the one who may be suspected of belonging to the British side. But what doings there have you to tell of, captain?"
"It was there that Perry's fleet was made ready for the celebratedBattle of Lake Erie," said Captain Raymond—"Perry's victory was wonSeptember 10, 1813."
"Just a few weeks after the fight at Fort Stephenson," remarkedLucilla.
"Yes," said her father; "and at that time the fleet was nearly ready. What we now speak of as Erie was then called Presqu' Isle. The harbor is a large bay, one of the finest on the lake. A low, sandy peninsula juts out some five miles into the lake. It has sometimes been an island, when storms have cleft its neck; and it was a barren sand bank, though now it has a growth of timber upon it. In Perry's time the harbor was a difficult one to enter, by reason of having a tortuous channel, shallow and obstructed by sand bars and shoals."
"Was Erie a city at the time Perry's fleet was built there, papa?" asked Grace.
"No; only an insignificant village, hardly twenty years old; and there were many miles of wilderness, or very thinly populated country, between it and the larger settlements. All the supplies for our men, except the timber for the vessels, had to be brought from a distance, with great labor."
"Captain, was it not at Erie that General Wayne died?" asked GrandmaElsie.
"Yes," he said. "In 1794 General Wayne established a small garrison there and caused a blockhouse to be built at the lake shore of Garrison Hill. He returned there after his victory over the Indians in the Maumee Valley, and occupied a loghouse near the blockhouse, where he died of gout. At his own request he was buried at the foot of the flag-staff."
"Is his grave there now, papa?" asked Elsie.
"No," replied the captain; "his remains were removed to Pennsylvania in 1809. The first building there was a French fort, supposed to have been erected in 1749. I think some of its remains—ramparts and ditches—are still to be seen upon a point overlooking the entrance to the harbor. When Canada became an English possession the fort was allowed to go to decay."
"Why, papa?" asked Ned.
"Because it was no longer needed, my son. The blockhouse built by General Wayne fell into decay and was replaced by a new one in the winter of 1813-14, and a second one was built on the point of the peninsula of Presqu' Isle. The old one was burned by some mischievous person in 1853."
"Well, my dear, I highly approve of your expressed intention to take us to Erie to-morrow," said Violet in a lively tone, as the captain seemed to have come to the end of his account. "I am sure that I for one shall be greatly interested in everything there connected with the past history of our country."
All present seemed to be of the same opinion, and before separating for the night every arrangement was made for an early start next morning.
The yacht was again in motion at an early hour—even before any of her passengers were out of their beds. The sun had not yet appeared above the horizon when the captain was joined upon the deck by Percy Landreth.
"Ah, good-morning, Percy," he said in his usual pleasant tones. "Showing yourself so early a bird makes me fear you have not found your berth as comfortable a couch as could be desired."
"But it is surely none too early for a perfectly healthy fellow to be out, and I was anxious to see the sun rise. I never have seen it come up out of the water."
"Then I advise you to gaze steadily eastward, and you will see it apparently do that in five minutes or less."
Captain Raymond had a strong suspicion that the beautiful sight they presently witnessed was not all the young man had joined him for at that early hour, so he was not surprised when the next moment Percy, turning a rather flushed, embarrassed face toward him, said entreatingly, "Captain, I am sure you are a very kind-hearted man; will you not remove your prohibition of two years ago, and let me tell Miss Lu how I admire and love her?"
"Better not, my young friend," returned the captain pleasantly. "Believe me, you would gain nothing by it, even were her father willing to let her listen to such protestations and engage herself while she is still so young."
"Then she is still free?" Percy asked, his countenance brightening somewhat.
"Yes—heart and hand; and I hope will remain so for some years to come."
"That is some consolation, captain; and it is a great pleasure to be with her, even in the presence of others, and though prohibited to say a word in my own behalf."
"Try to have patience, my young friend," returned the captain, still speaking in a kindly tone; "you are young yet, and though you cannot believe it possible now, the time may come when you will see some other maiden who will be even more attractive to you than my little girl is now."
"I do not know how to believe it, sir," sighed Percy; but at that moment the approach of a light footstep put a sudden end to their talk.
"Good-morning, father, and Percy too! Why, you are out unusually early, are you not?" Lucilla exclaimed, holding out a hand to him. "Is it haste to catch the first glimpse of Erie—not lake but city—that has brought you on deck so soon?"
"Not only that, Miss Lu; it is a delightful time for being on deck—the sunrise was very beautiful," he said, taking the pretty hand for an instant, and giving it a friendly squeeze; "but you are a trifle too late for that."
"Yes," she said; "but I have seen it a number of times, and may hope to see it many times more on the waters of lakes or oceans."
"I hope you may," he returned pleasantly. "I wish with all my heart that every sort of enjoyment may be yours—now and always."
"Very kind of you," she said with a smile; "but I doubt if it would be best for me to be always free from every sort of trial and trouble. Papa," turning to him, "shall we have our usual stroll back and forth upon the deck—Percy joining us, if he wishes?"
"Yes," her father answered, drawing her hand within his arm; and the three paced back and forth, chatting pleasantly on the ordinary topics of the day till joined by the other members of their party and summoned to the breakfast table.
There was no disappointment in the visit to Erie; it proved quite as interesting as any one of the party had anticipated; the return voyage was delightful. They anchored for the night in the near vicinity of the island where they had landed on first coming to the neighborhood, and whence they received their daily mail.
"I wonder if Walter won't be joining us soon?" Lucilla remarked to her father as they walked the deck together the next morning.
"Probably. I should not be surprised to see him at any time," the captain said in reply. "I have sent in for the early mail, and—why here comes the boat now; and see who are in it!"
"Walter and Evelyn! Oh, how glad I am! I don't know how often I have wished she was with us."
"I knew you did, and that you like pleasant surprises, so decided to let this be one."
The boat was already alongside of the yacht, and the next moment its passengers were on deck, the two girls hugging and kissing each other and laughing with delight.
"Now, isn't it my turn, Eva?" queried the captain as they released each other. "Surely I may claim the privilege, since a year or two ago you and I agreed to be brother and sister to each other."
"Yes, sir," laughed Evelyn, making no effort to escape the offered caress.
"And, Lu, as I'm your father's brother I suppose you and I may exchange the same sort of greeting," laughed Walter, giving it as he spoke.
"Well, you have helped yourself; but I do not see any exchange about it," laughed Lucilla; "but, considering your youth, I excuse you for this once."
"As I do also," said the captain. "It isn't every young man I should allow to kiss my daughter; but youth and relationship may claim privileges. Lu, show Eva to her stateroom and see that she has whatever she wants. Walter, the one you occupied last is vacant, and you are welcome to take possession of it again."
"Thank you; I shall be glad to do so," returned Walter, following the girls down the companion-way.
"Quite a mail, I think, this morning, sir," remarked a sailor, handing the captain the mail bag.
Captain Raymond looked over the contents, and found, besides his own, one or more letters for each of his passengers. It was nearing the breakfast hour, and he distributed the letters after all had taken their places at the table.
They were a bright and cheerful party, everyone rejoicing in the arrival of Eva and Walter, the latter of whom had been spending some weeks among the Adirondacks with college-mates, then had joined Evelyn shortly before the last of the family left Crag Cottage, and undertaken to see her safely to theDolphinon Lake Erie.
"As I expected, I am summoned home," said Percy Landreth, looking up from a letter he was reading; "and I am bidden to bring you all with me, if I can by any means persuade you to take the trip. I wish you would all accept the invitation. I can assure you that everything possible will be done to prove that we esteem you the most welcome and honored of guests. Cousin Elsie, surely you and Aunt Annis will not think of refusing to spend with us at least a small portion of the time you have allotted for your summer vacation?"
"Certainly I must go with you," said Annis; "those relations are too near and dear to be neglected. My husband will go with me, I know; and you too, Cousin Elsie, will you not?"
"I feel strongly inclined to do so," returned Mrs. Travilla, "and to take the children and grandchildren with me. What do you say to it, captain?"
"It seems to me, mother, that for all of us to go would make a rather large party for our friends to entertain, hospitable as I know them to be," he replied. "Also, there are reasons why I think it would be well for me to remain here on the yacht, keeping Eva, Lu, and Grace for my companions. I flatter myself that I shall be able to give them a pleasant time during the week or two that the rest of you may be absent."
"And you will let me help you in that, sir?" Walter said inquiringly.
"No; my idea was to commit your mother and my wife and children to your care—yours and Cousin Ronald's. He must not have too much of that put upon him."
"Seeing he has grown too auld to be trusted wi' wark in that line, eh, captain?" remarked Mr. Lilburn in a tone of inquiry.
"Old enough to reasonably expect to be allowed to take his ease, and let women and children be cared for by younger men," returned the captain pleasantly.
"Such as I, for instance," laughed Walter. "Mother, dear, I hope you feel willing to trust me; and that Vi does also."
"My dear boy, I am entirely willing to trust you to do anything in your power for me and any of our dear ones," Grandma Elsie answered with a loving look and smile into her son's eyes.
"And on the journey to Pleasant Plains I shall certainly do my best for you all, Cousin Elsie," said Percy. "But, captain, surely the yacht could do without her owner and his oversight for a fortnight or so. And we can find room for you all; there are several families of us, you must remember, and each of our homes has at least one guest room."
"And you are all very hospitable, I know," returned the captain pleasantly. "Perhaps at some other time I may put that to the proof, but there are reasons why it does not seem quite advisable to do so now." The tone of the last words was so decided that Percy did not think it advisable to urge the matter any further, and in a few minutes it was settled that the captain's plan in regard to who should compose the party to go to Pleasant Plains, and who the one to remain on the yacht, should be carried out.
Evidently the young girls were well satisfied with the decision. They had had enough travel by rail for the present, and life on theDolphinwould be decidedly restful and enjoyable, for they were delightful companions, the captain was the best and kindest of protectors and providers, and there was abundance of interesting reading matter at hand in the shape of books and periodicals.
Percy was much disappointed, but did his best to conceal it, which was the easier because the others were much taken up with the necessarily hasty preparations for the little trip.
"I don't want to go without my papa," Ned said stoutly at first.
"But papa thinks he can't go, and it is for only a little while, you know," reasoned his mother. "We expect to come back to papa and sisters in a few days."
"But, mamma, why don't you and I stay with him? It's nice here on our yacht and going about to new places 'most every day."
"So it is, son, but it will be pleasant to see those relatives who have invited us to their homes, and to refuse to accept their invitation would not seem kind."
"But papa does refuse."
"Yes; he must have some good reason which he has not told us."
"Papa is going to take care of the yacht, and of Eva and our sisters," said Elsie, joining in the talk.
They were in their stateroom, Violet putting together such articles of clothing as she thought best to take with them on their little trip.
"But who'll take care of us?" demanded Ned.
"Uncle Walter, Cousin Ronald, and Cousin Percy. I'd rather have papa than all of them put together, but our Heavenly Father will take care of us, and that is better still."
"Yes, daughter; He will take the best of care of all who put their trust in him; and without his help no earthly creature can keep you from harm," said their father's voice close at hand; and, looking round, they saw him standing in the doorway.
"Yes, papa; and I'm so glad to know it," responded Elsie. "But I do wish you were going along with us to visit those cousins."
"As I do, my dear," said Violet.
"Thank you. I should like it myself, but for certain reasons it seems advisable and best for me to stay behind. Vi, my dear, let me do that packing for you."
The train they had decided to take left early in the afternoon, and they were busy with their preparations until almost the last moment; then they bade the young girls a hasty good-by and left them on the deck, where the captain presently rejoined them, after seeing the departing ones safely on the train and watching it for a moment as it sped rapidly on its way.
"And they are off, are they, father? Well, I hope they will all enjoy themselves greatly, but I am glad we are left here with you," Lucilla said as he rejoined their little group.
"Yes, I saw them off. I hope their visit will prove very enjoyable to them all, and that our stay here will be equally enjoyable to us."
"That is what we are all anticipating, captain," said Evelyn. "I don't know where in the world I should rather pass the next few weeks than on theDolphinwith you and these dear girls for company."
"That is pleasant news for us," he returned in kindly tones. "And now what can I do for your entertainment? I am ready to consider suggestions from each of you."
"Don't you think we should take Eva to visit the different islands in this group, papa?" queried Grace.
"Certainly; if she would like to go."
"Very much indeed," said Eva; "I know I shall enjoy going any- and every-where that you may be pleased to take me, or just staying on the yacht lying in one place, if that suits the rest of you."
"We will try that occasionally by way of variety," the captain said with a smile. "Shall we not do that for the rest of this day,—as it is now almost dinner time,—then start off for some other point shortly after breakfast to-morrow morning?"
"Oh, yes, sir!" they all exclaimed; Grace adding, "And, papa, won't you take us to Gibraltar? It is so picturesque that I think it is worth visiting several times."
"Yes, and so are some of the other islands. We will visit any or all of them as many times as you wish."
"Well," said Lucilla, "with taking those little trips now and then, and having books, work,—needlework I mean,—games, and music, I think it will be strange should we find time hang heavy on our hands."
"Yes, indeed," said Evelyn with a sigh of contentment; "I am not in the least afraid of any such calamity."
They talked on, planning various little excursions to one and another of the islands and different points of interest upon the mainland, till summoned to their meal.
"It seems a trifle lonely," Grace remarked as they took their seats about the table.
"Yes," said her father, "but considering how much our absentees are probably enjoying themselves, we won't mind that for a few days."
"Indeed," said Lucilla, "though I shall be glad to see them come back, I think it is really quite delightful to have papa all to ourselves for a few days."
"And for papa to have these young girls all to himself, eh?" laughed the captain. "Well, I won't deny it; and I fully expect the girls to make their companionship quite delightful to me."
"I think we will all do our best in that line," said Evelyn. "It would be strange indeed if we didn't, when you are so very good and kind to us."
"No better, I think, than almost any other gentleman would be in my place," he returned pleasantly. "Now let me help you to some of this fowl. I hope to see you all do full justice to what is set before you."
"If we don't, it will not be the fault of the fare, I am sure," said Evelyn. "Judging by the meals I have taken on board of this vessel, she must have both a good caterer and an excellent cook."
"We have both," said Lucilla emphatically.
"Yes," said Grace. "I wish we could share this dinner with our dear folks who left us a while ago; though perhaps they are getting just as good a meal at Pleasant Plains."
"Yes," said her father, "if all has gone well with them and their train, they are there by this time; and, from what I have heard of the housekeeping of the relatives there, I presume they have been, or will be, set down to as good a meal as this."
"Oh, yes, of course," said Grace; "and that was a very foolish wish of mine. Papa, how shall we spend this evening?"
"I leave that to the decision of my daughters and their guest," he replied. "I shall be happy to do my best to entertain you in any way that may suit your inclinations."
"What may be yours, Eva? Please tell us," said Lucilla.
"I hardly know what to choose," said Evelyn. "Several delightful ways of passing the time have been already spoken of, and I should enjoy any one of them. I hope you will give us some of your music; and if the captain feels inclined to spin us one of his sailor yarns, that would be enjoyable; and I presume a promenade on the deck would be good exercise, helping us to sleep well afterward."
"A very good programme," remarked the captain as she concluded. "I think we will carry it out."
They did so, and, when about to separate for the night, agreed it had been a success, the time having passed very pleasantly.
The next morning found them all in good health and spirits, and the day was spent in little excursions among the islands. The evening brought a mail in which was a letter from Violet to her husband, telling of the safe arrival of her mother, herself, and the other members of their party at their destination, the warm welcome they had received, and the prospect that the few days of their proposed sojourn among the relatives of Pleasant Plains would be passed most agreeably. "There is only one drawback to my enjoyment," she added; "I cannot feel quite content without my husband; and I miss the dear girls too. So I am glad this visit is to be but a short one."
The captain read the greater part of the letter aloud to Eva and his daughters.
"I too am glad their visit is to be short," remarked Grace as he finished, "for I don't like to be without them, though we are having a very delightful time here with our dear, kind father to take care of us and find so many pleasant amusements for us."
"Ah!" he said with a smile. "Where would you like to go to-morrow?"
They discussed the question for a while, and at length decided to visit some of the islands that had been neglected thus far. Then they went on to plan an outing for each weekday of the time they expected the rest of their party to be absent. These they carried out successfully; and each day's mail brought them a graphic report from Violet's pen of the doings among their friends and relatives in Pleasant Plains.
Several family parties were gotten up for their entertainment, and at one of them Cousin Ronald, at Walter's urgent request, exercised his skill in ventriloquism, to the great surprise and delight of the younger folk.
They were quite a large company, assembled in the parlors of Dr. Landreth's house, just after leaving the tea-table. Presently a buzzing bee seemed to be flying about among them, now circling around the head of one person and now flying above that of another. They involuntarily tried to dodge it, and sent searching glances here and there in the vain effort to see just what and where it was. It could not be seen. Presently it was no longer heard, and someone said, "We are rid of it, I think; it seems to have gone out of the window."
But the words were scarcely spoken when there was a scream from the porch, "Oh, I'm stung! and the bee's on me yet! Somebody come and take it off!"
At that the doctor, Walter, and Percy rushed out in response to the entreaty. But the bee's victim seemed to have vanished with wonderful celerity. The porch was entirely deserted.
"Gone! gone already! who can she have been?" exclaimed Percy, glancing about in great surprise.
"I cannot imagine," said the doctor; then catching sight of Walter's face, which told of suppressed mirthfulness, a sudden recollection came to him; and he added, "Ah, I think I understand it," turned, and went back into the parlor.
"Who was it?" asked several voices.
"Nobody, apparently," answered the doctor with a smile; and Percy added, "She had strangely disappeared."
"Well," said a rough voice, seemingly coming from the hall, "if I was a doctor, and a poor woman got badly stung right here in my own house, d'ye think I wouldn't do something fur her?"
"Bring her in here, and I will do what I can for her," replied the doctor.
"Hello here, Bet!" called the voice; "I say, go right along in thar and see what he'll do fur ye."
"What'll he do? p'raps hurt me worse than the bee has?" snarled a sharp, disagreeable voice. "I guess I won't resk it."
"All right then, Bet, let's go," said the other voice; "'taint our way to stay long where we git nothin' but stings."
A sound as of shuffling footsteps followed, then all was still.
Some of the children and young people ran to the door and windows, hoping to catch sight of the strange couple, but were surprised that they could see nothing of them.
But the bee seemed to have come in again and to be buzzing all about the room—now up near the ceiling, now down about the ears of one and another of the company. There were dodgings and curious glances here and there, exclamations of surprise that the creature was not to be seen as well as heard, till their attention was taken from it by the furious barking of a dog, seemingly on the porch, and mingled with it screams of pain and terror in a childish voice; cries of "Oh, take him off! he's biting me! Oh, oh, he'll kill me! Oh, come quick, somebody, before he kills me!"
Several of the gentlemen present sprang up and rushed out to the rescue, but found all quiet on the porch and neither child nor dog in sight.
For a moment they looked at each other in surprise and perplexity, then a sudden recollection of Cousin Ronald's powers came to one and another, a little amused laugh was exchanged, and they returned to the parlor, looking very grave and as much mystified as even the youngest present.
"Why, who was it? and where did she go to?" asked one of the little girls.
"She was not to be found; nor was the dog," replied Percy. "They seem to have got away very quickly."
"Well, I wish I knew who she was, and whether the dog is after her yet," said Don, his younger brother. "I think I'll go out to the street and see if they are anywhere in sight."
"'Tisn't worth while, little chap; you'll not find 'em," said a voice from the hall which sounded very much like the one that had spoken first.
"Is it your doing? did you bring that dog here?" asked the lad, jumping up and going toward the door.