only; he knew military
strategy--"he was an excellent judge of position," admitted the British
officers. He was consulted in the war councils.

The British thought much of him; the Americans were obliged to think
much about him. But the star of Harrison also was marching on. The
two stars came together, in the trail.

Tecumseh with his Indians, and the British General Proctor with his
soldiers besieged the troublesome American general at Fort Meigs, near
by the battle field of Fallen Timbers. So again the two rival chiefs
were face to face.

An American detachment was surprised and captured. The Indians
commenced to kill and torture. General Proctor looked on. Tecumseh
heard and rushed to the scene. He had given his word to General
Harrison, two years ago, and he was furious at the insult to his honor.

Defending the prisoners with knife and tomahawk, he sprang for the
British general.

"Who dares permit such acts!"

"Sir, your Indians cannot be controlled."

"Begone!" roared Tecumseh. "You are unfit to command; go and put on
petticoats."

After that he openly despised General Proctor.

He sent a note in to his American foeman:

"General Harrison: I have with me eight hundred braves. You have an
equal number in your hiding place. Come out with them and give me
battle. You talked like a brave when we met at Vincennes, and I
respected you; but now you hide behind logs and in the earth, like a
ground-hog. Give me answer. Tecumseh."

But General Harrison knew his business, and carried on to the
successful end.

That end was not far distant. General Tecumseh and General Proctor
together failed to take Fort Meigs. General Proctor ordered a retreat.
General Harrison followed on the trail. General Tecumseh hated to
retreat. At every step he was abandoning Indian country.

The retreat northward to Canada continued. Tecumseh was fighting the
battle of his people, not of the English; he wished to go no farther.

He proposed to his warriors that they leave for another region, and let
the Americans and British fight their own war.

"They promised us plenty of soldiers, to help us. Instead, we are
treated like the dogs of snipe-hunters; we are always sent ahead to
rouse the game."

"You got us into this war by your promises," retorted the Sioux and the
Chippewas. "You have no right to break us."

Any appeal to Tecumseh's honor was certain to win; he stuck. Then
American ships under Co