persuade them to follow his brother's teachings.

In the meantime, settlers came steadily from the south and the east, and
the governor felt the need of more land. Since he saw no prospect of
immediate trouble with the British and was convinced that the Prophet
had not been preparing the Indians for war, he determined to attempt to
extend the United States territory.

On the thirtieth of September, 1809, Governor Harrison called all the
tribes that claimed certain lands between the White and Wabash rivers to
a council. Only a few of the weak and degenerate tribes answered the
summons. Nevertheless, he went through the ceremony of making a treaty
by which the United States government claimed three million acres of
Indian land.

This act of Harrison's lighted a hundred council fires. Everywhere the
Indians denounced this treaty. Soon word reached Vincennes that tribes
that had before stood apart cherishing their independence had declared
their willingness to join the brothers at Tippecanoe. At the Prophet's
town the voice of the warrior, Tecumseh, sounded above that of the
preacher, Tenskwatawa; and running and wrestling were said to have given
place to the practice of shooting and wielding the tomahawk.

When the annual supply of salt was sent to Tippecanoe, the Prophet
refused to accept it, and sent word to the Governor that the Americans
had dealt unfairly with the Indians, and that friendly relations could
be renewed only by the nullification of the treaty of 1809.

The Indians were evidently ready for war, and repeated rumors of plots
to attack the settlements caused great anxiety among the frontiersmen.
The Indians now recognized Tecumseh as their leader, and looked to him
for the word of command. Realizing how much loss of life and land a
defeat would bring to the Indians, he worked tirelessly to make his
people ready for war, but resolved not to hazard a battle unless driven
to do so.

VIII. THE COUNCIL BETWEEN HARRISON AND TECUMSEH

Governor Harrison sent agents to Tippecanoe, who brought back word that
the Indians were preparing for war; that Tecumseh had gathered about him
five thousand warriors, and that the British were encouraging them to go
to war, and promising them aid. He therefore sent a letter to the
Prophet telling him of the reports he had received, and warning him not
to make an enemy of the Seventeen Fires. He wrote:

"Don't deceive yourselves; do not believe that all the nations of