onfer with him.

Colonel Bouquet, on the other hand, was stern and terrible. In council
he addressed the Indians as chiefs and warriors, instead of "brothers."
He refused to smooth over their wrong doing or listen to the excuses
they offered for going to war. He charged them openly with the wrongs
they had done, and required them to surrender all their white prisoners
and give him hostages from their own race.

Many of the captives had lived among the Indians so long that they had
forgotten their white relatives and friends. They left the Indian life
and Indian friends with tears, and would have remained in captivity
gladly. But Colonel Bouquet would make no exceptions.

His stern measures subdued the warlike tribes completely. In the fall of
1764 Bouquet returned to the East to receive honors and rewards for his
services.

XIII. THE LAST OF PONTIAC

While other Indians were promising to bury the hatchet, Pontiac, the
soul of the conspiracy, made no promises and smoked no peace-pipe.
Surrounded by hundreds of warriors the chief camped on the Maumee River.
His messengers brought him news of what was going on, and until the
white men had taken their soldiers from the land he was content to wait
and plan.

Captain Morris, who had been sent to Pontiac's camp by Colonel
Bradstreet, was coldly received by the great chief. Pontiac, indeed,
granted him a hearing, but he bent upon his guest dark looks and refused
to shake his hand. He made no flowery speeches, but declared that all
the British were liars, and asked what new lies he had come to tell.
After some talk Pontiac showed the captain a letter which he supposed to
have been written by the King of France. It told the old story of the
French army on its way to destroy the English. Captain Morris did his
best to persuade him that the report was false. He was much impressed
with the influence, knowledge, and sense of Pontiac--an Indian who
commanded eighteen nations and was acquainted with the laws that
regulated the conduct of civilized states.

Pontiac would make no official promises of peace, but he was so much
discouraged by the communications Captain Morris brought, that he said
to one of the followers of the latter: "I shall never more lead the
nations to war. As for them, let them be at peace with the English if
they will; for me, I shall be at war with them forever. I shall be a
wanderer in the woods, and if they come to seek me I will fight them
sing