Mrs. Headley and Margaret are in attendance
on the unfortunate Ronayne," replied Elmsley. "You will, therefore,
be sure to find him alone, and no doubt busied in the formation of
plans of operations consequent on this intelligence."

"Recollect, not a word of this until it is officially revealed. I
shall not even let Captain Headley know that I am aware of the
facts, but simply state that, having heard he was in receipt of
despatches, I had come to know if there was any news of importance.
But, of one thing I would warn you, Elmsley; there will be a council
of war to-morrow, and I could wish that your view of the subject
may lead you to prefer defending the fort to the last extremity in
preference to a long and uncertain retreat to Fort Wayne, which I
know is suggested in the despatch."

"I shall have no difficulty in arriving at that decision," returned
the officer of the guard, "for common sense only is necessary to
show the advantages of one course over the other. In the meantime,
I shall evince no knowledge of what you have conveyed to me, until
the hour of council. Did no other consideration weigh with me, I
would oppose a movement which cuts us off from all hope of restoring
the dear lost wife of Ronayne to her distracted husband."

"Good bye, God bless you," answered the trader, as he moved towards
the quarters of Captain Headley.

"Then," mused Elmsley, when alone, "are the forebodings of that
fusty old number of the National Intelligencer which I have thumbed
for hours over and over again for the last three months at length
finally realized--and war was come at last; well be it so! My
chief anxiety is for Margaret. Would that she and all the rest of
the weak women in this fortress were safe within the fortifications
of Detroit; but all evil seems to be coming upon us at once."

"Ah! Mr. McKenzie, I am very glad to see you," said Captain Headley,
rising as the trader entered the room set apart for his library
and the transaction of military official business. "Take a seat.
You could not have paid me a more opportune visit."

"I had understood that Winnebeg had just returned with despatches
from Detroit," remarked the trader, "and am come to learn the news."

"Bad enough," answered Capt. Headley, gravely, as he handed to him
the despatch from General Hull. "Read that!"

Mr. McKenzie attentively perused the document. It was evidently of
a nature not to please him, for as he read he knit his brow,
bit his