At length he spoke; no one having put a
single question to him, or betrayed the least sign of impatient
curiosity.
"I come to tell the chiefs what has happened," said the runner. "Our
Great Father from Quebec has sent his young men against the Yankees.
Red warriors, too, were there in hundreds--" here a murmur of
interest was slightly apparent among the chiefs--"their path led
them to Detroit; it is taken."
A low murmur, expressive of satisfaction, passed round the circle,
for Detroit was then the most important of all the posts held by the
Americans, along the whole line of the great lakes. Eye met eye in
surprise and admiration; then one of the older chiefs yielded to his
interest in the subject, and inquired:
"Have our young men taken many pale-face scalps?"
"So few that they are not worth counting. I did not see one pole
that was such as an Indian loves to look on."
"Did our young men keep back, and let the warriors from Quebec do
all the fighting?"
"No one fought. The Yankees asked to be made prisoners, without
using their rifles. Never before have so many captives been led into
the villages with so little to make their enemies look on them with
friendly eyes.
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