ged along between Kish-kau-ko and a very short thick
man. I had probably made some resistance, or done something to irritate
this last, for he took me a little to one side, and drawing his
tomahawk, motioned to me to look up. This I plainly understood, from the
expression of his face, and his manner, to be a direction for me to look
up for the last time, as he was about to kill me. I did as he directed,
but Kish-kau-ko caught his hand as the tomahawk was descending, and
prevented him from burying it in my brains. Loud talking ensued between
the two. Kish-kau-ko presently raised a yell: the old man and four
others answered it by a similar yell, and came running up. I have since
understood that Kish-kau-ko complained to his father that the short man
had made an attempt to kill his little brother, as he called me. The
old chief, after reproving him, took me by one hand, and Kish-kau-ko by
the other and dragged me betwixt them, the man who had threatened to
kill me, and who was now an object of terror to me, being kept at some
distance. I could perceive, as I retarded them somewhat in their
retreat, that they were apprehensive of being overtaken; some of them
were always at some distance from us.

It was about one mile from my father's house to the place where they
threw me into a hickory-bark canoe, which was concealed under the
bushes, on the bank of the river. Into this they all seven jumped, and
immediately crossed the Ohio, landing at the mouth of the Big Miami, and
on the south side of that river. Here they abandoned their canoe, and
stuck their paddles in the ground, so that they could be seen from the
river. At a little distance in the woods they had some blankets and
provisions concealed; they offered me some dry venison and bear's
grease, but I could not eat. My father's house was plainly to be seen
from the place where we stood; they pointed at it, looked at me, and
laughed, but I have never known what they said.

After they had eaten a little, they began to ascend the Miami, dragging
me along as before.

It must have been early in the spring when we arrived at Sau-ge-nong,
for I can remember that at this time the leaves were small, and the
Indians were about planting their corn. They managed to make me assist
at their labours, partly by signs, and partly by the few words of
English old Manito-o-geezhik could speak. After planting, they all left
the village, and went out to hunt and dry meat. When they came to