ladwyn_
was ready for them. Not a sound broke the silence of the
night as the Indians approached the schooner; when suddenly
the clang of a hammer against the mast echoed over the
calm waters, the signal to the soldiers in the hold. The
Indians were almost on their prey; but before they had
time to utter the war-whoop, the soldiers had come up
and had attacked the savages with bullets and cannon
shot. Shrieks of death arose amid the din of the firing
and the splash of swimmers hurriedly making for the shore
from the sinking canoes. In a moment fourteen Indians
were killed and as many more wounded. From behind the
barricade the survivors began a harmless musketry fire
against the schooner, which simply weighed anchor and
drifted down-stream to safety. A day or two later she
cleared Turkey Island and reached the fort, pouring a
shattering broadside into the Wyandot village as she
passed it. Besides the troops, the _Gladwyn_ had on board
a precious cargo of a hundred and fifty barrels of
provisions and some ammunition. She had not run the
blockade unscathed, for in passing Turkey Island one
sergeant and four men had been wounded. There was rejoicing
in the fort when the reinforcement marched in. This
additional strength in men and provisions, it was expected,
would enable the garrison to hold out for at least another
month, within which time soldiers would arrive in sufficient
force to drive the Indians away.

In the meantime Pontiac was becoming alarmed. He had
expected an easy victory, and was not prepared for a
protracted siege. He had drawn on the French settlers
for supplies; his warriors had slain cattle and taken
provisions without the consent of the owners. Leaders in
the settlement now waited on Pontiac, making complaint.
He professed to be fighting for French rule, and expressed
sorrow at the action of his young men, promising that in
future the French should be paid. Acting, no doubt, on
the suggestion of some of his French allies, he made a
list of the inhabitants, drew on each for a definite
quantity of supplies, and had these deposited at Meloche's
house near his camp on Parent's Creek. A commissary was
appointed to distribute the provisions as required. In
payment he issued letters of credit, signed with his
totem, the otter. It is said that all of them were
afterwards redeemed; but this is almost past belief in
the face of what actually happened.

From the beginning of the siege Pontiac had hoped