ting exploits of their band and told
of Cheeseekau's summons to the spirit-world and of his brave death
on the distant battlefield. Then they in turn listened eagerly as
an old chief rose and dramatically related the important events
that had taken place in their absence. He told how General Harmar,
with three hundred troops of the Thirteen Fires and eleven hundred
Kentucky volunteers, had advanced into the Miami country and laid
waste all their cornfields; how he and his followers had watched
from a distant hill the soldiers at their work of destruction; and
how Colonel Hardin, spying them in the distance, had suddenly turned
and attacked them. With rapid gestures the chief described the
pretended flight of the Indians. He told how, when out of sight of
the enemy, they had divided their force and marched back some
distance on either side of their trail. Assuming a crouching attitude
and cunning mien, he pictured them as they crept back through the
tall grass towards the place where they waited for the enemy. Then
he recalled their loud, triumphant yells as they rushed upon the
foe. He snatched his tomahawk from his belt to go through the
movements of the Indians striking and cutting down the white men
on all sides, and told how the white leader escaped with but a
handful of his men. He depicted further victories of the Indians.
Colonel Hardin had returned with five hundred militia and sixty
regulars to take vengeance on his savage foes. The regulars remained
at the village, while the militia, bent on revenge, routed the few
Indians whom they found lurking about. But the Indians were not
really beaten. Blue Jacket of the Shawnees and Little Turtle of
the Miamis concealed their assembled warriors in another ambush.
At the critical moment the Indians rushed from their ambuscade,
fell upon both regulars and militia, and pitilessly drove them ever
farther back.

Tecumseh had not long to wait for the time when he should again
embark on active service. In the autumn of 1791 news came that
Generals St Clair and Butler were advancing from the south with an
army of some fourteen hundred men. Tecumseh was placed in command
of a party of scouts to watch the movements of the enemy. On November
3 he discovered the American army encamped at the upper waters of
the Wabash about twenty miles north of Greenville. At once he
dispatched runners to tell the war chiefs Blue Jacket and Little
Turtle of the enemy's position. On the followin