ctually agreed to another armistice. For this _second_ truce, like his
first, "no valid reason, military or civil, has ever been assigned." As
far as the British were concerned, neither of these two was necessary,
but, on the contrary, directly to their disadvantage. Isaac Brock,
alas! was not made in duplicate.

Our hero remained but a few hours in Kingston. He was needed in Niagara.
The enemy was burning to avenge Detroit. The sight of Hull's ragged
legions passing as prisoners of war along the Canadian bank of the
river, bound for Montreal, did not tend to soften the hearts of the
Americans. Stores and ordnance continued to pour into Lewiston. Brock
needed 1,000 additional regulars. He might as well have asked for the
moon. Early in September he stated that if he could maintain his
position six weeks longer "the campaign would end in a manner little
expected in the States." Scores of American marines and seamen were
marking time, waiting for the launching of the vessels which Captain
Chauncey had been given free license to build to ensure United States
supremacy of the lakes. Prevost's eyes were still bandaged. Brock warned
his grenadiers of the 49th to be ready for trouble. He foresaw that the
Niagara river would be crossed, but at what point was uncertain. Stray
musket-balls whistled across at night as thick as whip-poor-wills in
summer. This firing was "the unauthorized warfare between sentinels."
The peaceful citizens of Newark, returning from dance or
card-party--even the imminence of war did not wholly stifle their desire
for innocent revelry--found it embarrassing.

Though Van Rensselaer's force now numbered 6,300 men, he was still
afraid to attack Brock. Invited by the United States Government to take
up arms, 400 Seneca Indians "went upon the war-path," and performed
ghost-dances on the streets of Lewiston. Prevost, with no proper
conception of the doctrine of "what we have we hold," ordered Brock to
"evacuate Detroit and the territory of Michigan." To "the man behind the
gun," who had but just donated this 60,000 square miles of realty to the
Empire, such instructions were hardly to his taste. Armed with powers of
discretion, our hero declined. Meanwhile Isaac's heart was sore. The
situation was galling. If there was to be no more fighting, why should
he not get his release, join Wellington in Portugal, and renounce
Canada? Unrest and vigilance best describe the order of his days, while
waiting attack. The