warriors should be in
readiness at the hour when the sentinel should be left by his comrades,
and that when they had retired a few paces, an arrow should silence him
for ever, and they would then rush on and massacre the guard.

This being concluded, they rose, and drawing the numerous folds of their
ample robes closer round them, they marched off in Indian file through the
gloomy forest, seeking some more distant spot, where the smoke of their
nightly fire would not be observed by the white men.

The sentinel rose from his hiding-place and returned to his post, and
taking down his hat, found that an arrow had passed clean through it. He
then wrapt himself in his watch-coat, and returned immediately to the
camp; and without any delay demanded to speak to the commander, saying
that he had something important to communicate.

[Illustration: GENERAL MORGAN.]

He was admitted, and when he had told all that he had seen and heard, the
Colonel bestowed on him the commission of lieutenant of the Virginia
corps, which had been made vacant by the death of one of his comrades a
few nights back, and ordered him to be ready with a picket guard, to march
an hour earlier than usual to the fatal out-post, there to place a hat and
coat on the branches, and then lie in ambush for the intruders.

The following evening, according to the orders given by Colonel St. Clair,
a detachment of forty riflemen, with Lieutenant Morgan at their head,
marched from the camp at half past seven in the evening towards the
appointed spot, and having arranged the hat and coat so as to have the
appearance of a soldier standing on guard, they stole silently away and
hid themselves among the bushes.

Here they lay for almost an hour before any signs of approaching Indians
were heard. The night was cold and still, and the rising moon shone forth
in all her beauty. The men were becoming impatient of their uncomfortable
situation, for their clothes were not so well adapted to a bed of snow as
the deer-skin robes of the hardy Chippewas.

"Silence!" whispered Lieutenant Morgan--"I hear the rustling of the
leaves."

Presently a bear of the same description as had been seen the night
before, passed near the ambush; it crept to the edge of the
plain--reconnoitred--saw the sentinel at his post--retired towards the
forest a few paces, and then, suddenly rising on his feet, let fly an
arrow which brought the sham sentinel to the ground. So impatient were the
Vir