walking on their beats. By day break I had finished my work
and was anxiously awaiting the rising of the sun. The morning drum beat.
I examined the priming of my gun, and eagerly watched for the gate to
open. It did open, but instead of the troops, a young man came out alone
and the gate closed after him. He passed so close to me that I could
have killed him with my knife, but I let him pass unharmed. He kept the
path toward the river, and had he gone one step from it, he must have
come upon us and would have been killed. He returned immediately and
entered the gate. I would now have rushed for the gate and entered it
with him, but I feared that our party was not prepared to follow me.

The gate opened again when four men emerged and went down to the river
for wood. While they were gone another man came out, walked toward the
river, was fired on and killed by a Winnebago. The others started and
ran rapidly towards the fort, but two of them were shot down dead. We
then took shelter under the river's bank out of reach of the firing from
the fort.

The firing now commenced from both parties and was kept up without
cessation all day. I advised our party to set fire to the fort, and
commenced preparing arrows for that purpose. At night we made the
attempt, and succeeded in firing the buildings several times, but
without effect, as the fire was always instantly extinguished.

The next day I took my rifle and shot in two the cord by which they
hoisted their flag, and prevented them from raising it again. We
continued firing until our ammunition was expended. Finding that we
could not take the fort, we returned home, having one Winnebago killed
and one wounded during the siege.

I have since learned that the trader who lived in the fort, wounded
the Winnebago while he was scalping the first man that was killed. The
Winnebago recovered, and is now living, and is very friendly disposed
towards the trader, believing him to be a great brave.

Soon after our return home, news reached us that a war was going to take
place between the British and the Americans.

Runners continued to arrive from different tribes, all confirming the
reports of the expected war. The British agent, Colonel Dixon, was
holding talks with, and making presents to the different tribes. I had
not made up my mind whether to join the British or remain neutral. I had
not discovered yet one good trait in the character of the Americans who
had come to the coun