eded that months later when white troops found the dead, their money,
watches and clothes were untouched.

The battle over, the Indians returned to the swamp to await Osceola,
count scalps, and celebrate their victory. Of one hundred and ten
soldiers only four escaped.

VIII. OSCEOLA A WAR CHIEF

As a fire that has smoldered long flames up in many places at once, so
the war broke out with several actions in quick succession. The tidings
of the slaughter at Fort King had not become generally known and the
Indians had not slept after Dade's massacre, before preparations were
afoot for another assault.

[Illustration: INDIAN RUNNER]

Scarcely had the victors wearied of shouting and dancing when an Indian,
exhausted, not with revelry, but with swift running through forest and
swamp, came into the camp, bringing important news. A council of chiefs
was called. The bowl of honey water was passed around and when all had
drunk from the deep ladle, the messenger rose to give his message. He
told the chiefs that General Clinch had left Fort Drane with two hundred
regulars and four hundred Florida volunteers, and was already far
advanced into the Indian country. Indeed he was even now approaching
the Withlacoochee River.

Micanopy, with his usual caution, advised the Indians to keep out of the
way of such a large force. But his hearers were in no mood to listen to
his faint-hearted advice; they had been emboldened by their recent
victories and responded to the fearless daring of Osceola. One hundred
and fifty Indians and fifty negroes volunteered to go with Osceola and
Alligator to intercept General Clinch and his six hundred soldiers.

With one accord the warriors bounded off towards the ford of the
Withlacoochee. There the water was only two feet deep, and as it was the
only place where the river could be crossed without boats, there could
be little doubt that the white general would lead his forces to this
point before attempting to cross the river.

For a day and a night the Indians waited to give their enemy a deadly
welcome. In the neighborhood of the ford there was no sound to interrupt
the music of the river, no sight to disturb the peace of the dense
forest. But on the morning of the following day, scouts came skulking
through the trees, and in a few minutes the apparently unpeopled place
was alive with red men.

The scouts brought word that General Clinch and two hundred of his men
had already crossed t