NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
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A LIST OF THE ELSIE BOOKS AND
OTHER POPULAR BOOKS
BY
MARTHA FINLEY
ELSIE DINSMORE.
ELSIE'S HOLIDAYS AT ROSELANDS-
ELSIE'S GIRLHOOD.
ELSIE'S WOMANHOOD.
ELSIE'S MOTHERHOOD.
ELSIE'S CHILDREN.
'ELSIE'S WIDOWHOOD.
GRANDMOTHER ELSIE.
ELSIE'S NEW RELATIONS.
ELSIE AT NANTUCKET.
THE TWO ELSIES.
ELSIE'S KITH AND KIN.
ELSIE'S FRIENDS AT WOODBURN.
CHRISTMAS WITH GRANDMA ELSIE.
ELSIE AND THE RAYMONDS.
ELSIE YACHTING WITH THE RAYMONDS.
ELSIE'S VACATION.
ELSIE AT VIAMEDE.
ELSIE AT ION.
ELSIE AT THE WORLD'S FAIR.
ELSIE'S JOURNEY ON INLAND WATERS.
ELSIE AT HOME.
ELSIE ON THE HUDSON.
ELSIE IN THE SOUTH.
ELSIE'S YOUNG FOLKS.
ELSIE'S WINTER TRIP.
ELSIE AND HER LOVED ONES.
MILDRED KEITH.
MILDRED AT ROSELANDS.
MILDRED'S MARRIED LIFE.
MILDRED AND ELSIE.
MILDRED AT HOME.
MILDRED'S BOYS AND GIRLS.
MILDRED'S NEW DAUGHTER.
'CASELLA.
SIGNING THE CONTRACT AND WHAT IT COST S
THE TRAGEDY OF WILD RIVER VALLEY*
OUR FRED.
AN OLD-FASHIONED BOY.
WANTED, A PEDIGREE.
THE THORN IN THE NEST.
ELSIE'S JOURNEY
ON INLAND WATERS
.
MARTHA FINLEY
\
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
THE NEW Y6RK
PUB-LIC LIBRARY
968612A
ASTOR, LBNOX AND
TILDEN FOOUATION8
B 1938 L
COPTRIQHT, 1895,
BT
9ODD, MEAD AND COMPANY.
AU rights reserved.
ELSIE'S JOURNEY ON INLAND
WATERS.
CHAPTER I.
AFTER her return from the trip across the
lake with the bridal party, the Dolphin lay at
anchor near the White City for a week or
more; there were so many interesting and
beautiful exhibits at the Fair still unseen by
them that Captain Raymond, his family, and
guests scarce knew how to tear themselves
away.
At the breakfast table on the morning after
their arrival, they, as usual, considered to-
gether the question where the day should be
spent. It was soon evident that they were not
all of one mind, some preferring a visit to
one building, some to another.
" I should like nothing better than to spend
some hours in the Art Palace, examining paint-
ings and statuary," said Violet, " and I have an
idea that mamma would enjoy doing the same,"
CD
2 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
looking enquiringly at her mother as she
finished her sentence.
"In which you are quite right," responded
Grandma Elsie. " There is nothing I enjoy
more than pictures and statuary such as may be
found there."
" And I am sure your father and I can echo
that sentiment," remarked Mrs. Dinsmore, with
a smiling glance at her husband.
"Very true, my dear," he said.
"Then that is where we shall go," said the
captain.
"That includes your four children, I sup-
pose, papa?" remarked Lucilla, half enquir-
ingly, half in assertion.
"Unless one or more of them should prefer
to remain at home here on the yacht," he
replied. "How about that, Neddie, my boy?"
" Oh, papa, I don't want to stay here !
Please let me go with you and mamma,"
exclaimed the little fellow, with a look of
mingled alarm and entreaty.
"You certainly shall, if you want to, my
son," returned his father. "I am happy to say
that my little boy has been very good and
given no unnecessary trouble in visiting the
Fair thus far. And I can say the same of my
little Elsie and her older sisters also," he added,
with an affectionate look from one to another.
ON INLAND WATERS. 3
"Thank you, papa," said Lucilla and Grace,
the latter adding, "I think it would be strange
indeed should we ever intentionally and will-
ingly give trouble to such a father as ours."
"I don't intend ever to do that," said little
Elsie earnestly, and with a loving upward look
into her father's face.
" I am glad to hear it, dear child," he returned,
with an appreciative smile.
"I, too," said her mother. "Well, we will
make quite a party, even if all the rest choose
to go elsewhere."
The Art Palace was a very beautiful build-
ing of brick and steel; its style of architecture
Ionic of the most classic and refined type.
It was very large: 320 feet wide by 500 feet
in length, with an eastern and western annex, a
grand nave and transept 160 feet wide and 70
feet high intersecting it, and that surmounted
by a dome very high and wide, and having
upon its apex a winged figure of Victory.
From this dome the central section was
flooded with light, and here was a grand collec-
tion of sculpture and paintings, in which
every civilized nation was represented, the
number of pieces shown being nearly twenty-
five thousand. It was the largest art exhibition
ever made in the history of the world.
It was not strange, therefore, that though our
4 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
friends had been in the building more than once
before, they still found an abundance of fine
works of art which were well worth attentive
study, and as entirely new to them as though
they had been but just placed there.
Little Elsie was particularly attracted, and
her curiosity was excited by an oil painting
among the French exhibits of Joan of Arc
listening to the voices.
"Is there a story to it?" she asked of her
grandma, who stood nearest to her at the
moment.
"Yes, dear; and if you want to hear it, I
shall tell it to you when we go back to the
Dolphin," was the kindly rejoinder, and the
child, knowing that Grandma Elsie's promises
were sure to be kept, said no more at the
moment, but waited patiently until the ap-
pointed time.
As usual, she and Neddie were ready for a
rest sooner than the older people, and were
taken back to the yacht by their father,
Grandma Elsie and Grace accompanying them,
saying that they, too, were weary enough to
enjoy sitting down with the little folks for an
hour or so.
" Oh, I'm glad grandma's going too !" cried
Ned, and Elsie added, with a joyous look," So am
I, grandma, but I'm very sorry you are tired."
ON INLAND WATERS. 5
"Do not let that trouble you, dearest,"
returned Mrs. Travilla, with a loving smile.
"You know if I were not tired I should miss
the enjoyment of resting."
"And there is enjoyment in that," remarked
the captain; "yet I regret, mother, that your
strength is not sufficient to enable you to see
and enjoy all the beautiful sights here, which we
may never again have an opportunity to behold."
"Well, captain, one cannot have everything
in this world," returned Grandma Elsie, with a
contented little laugh, "and it is a real enjoy-
ment to me to sit on the deck of the Dolphin
with my dear little grandchildren about me,
and entertain them with such stories as will
both interest and instruct them."
"Oh, are you going to tell us the story of
that picture I asked you about, grandma?"
queried little Elsie, with a look of delight.
"What picture was that?" asked her father,
who had not heard what passed between the
lady and the child while gazing together upon
Maillart's painting.
Mrs. Travilla explained, adding, " I suppose
you have no objection to my redeeming my
promise?"
"Oh, no! not at all; it is a historical story,
and I do not see that it can do them any harm
to hear it, sadly as it ends."
6 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
They had reached the yacht while talking,
and presently were on board and comfortably
seated underneath the awning on the deck.
Then the captain left them, and Grandma Elsie,
noting the look of eager expectancy on little
Elsie's face, at once began the coveted tale.
"The story I am about to tell you," she said,
" is of things done and suffered more than four
hundred years ago. At that time there was
war between the English and French. The
King of England, not satisfied with his own
dominions, wanted France also and claimed it
because his mother was the daughter of a
former French king; so he sent an army across
the Channel into France to force the French to
take him for their king, instead of their own
monarch."
"Didn't the French people want to have the
English king to be theirs too, grandma?"
asked Elsie.
"No, indeed! and so a long, long war fol-
lowed, and a great many of both the French
and English were killed.
" At that time there was a young peasant girl
named Joan, a modest, industrious, pious girl,
who loved her country and was distressed over
the dreadful war going on in it. She longed to
help to drive the English away; but it did not
seem as if she a girl of fifteen, who could
ON INLAND WATERS. 7
neither read nor write, though she could sew
and spin and work out in the fields and gar-
dens could do anything to help to rid her dear
land of the invaders. But she thought a great
deal about it and at length imagined that she
heard heavenly voices calling to her to go and
fight for her king."
" And that was the picture that we saw to-
day, grandma?" asked Elsie. "But it wasn't
really true?"
"No, dear; probably Joan of Arc, as she is
called, really imagined she heard them, and the
painter has imagined how they might have
looked."
"Then it isn't real," remarked the little girl,
in a tone of disappointment.
"No, not what the picture represents; but
the story of what poor Joan of Arc, or the
Maid of Orleans, as she is often called, thought
and did is true. When she told her story of
the voices speaking to her no one believed it;
they thought she was crazy. But she was not
discouraged. She went to her king, or rather
the dauphin, for he had not been crowned, and
told her story to him and his council that
God had revealed to her that the French troops
would succeed in driving the enemy away from
the city of Orleans, which they were besieging
at that time.
8 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"The dauphin listened, believed what sne
told him, and gave her leave to dress herself in
male attire and go with the troops, riding on a
white palfrey and bearing a sword and a white
banner. The soldiers believed in her, and in
consequence were filled with such courage and
enthusiasm that they fought very bravely and
soon succeeded in driving the English away
from Orleans.
"This success so delighted the French, and
so raised their hope of ridding France of her
enemies, that they won victory after victory,
driving the English out of one province after
another, and even out of Paris itself, so that
the English hated and dreaded poor Joan.
"She conducted the dauphin to Rheims,
where he was crowned, and she wept for joy as
she saluted him as king. Then she wanted to
go home, thinking her work was done; but
King Charles begged her to stay with the army,
and to please him she did. But she began to
have fearful forebodings because she no longer
heard the voices. Yet she remained with the
French army and was present at a good many
battles, till at length she was taken prisoner by
the Burgundians and sold to the English for a
large sum by the Burgundian officer."
"Oh, grandma! and did the English hurt her
for fighting for her own dear country ?"
ON INLAND WATERS. 9
"I cannot say certainly," replied Mrs. Tra-
villa; "accounts differ, some saying that she
was put to death as a heretic and sorceress;
others that some five or six years later she
arrived at Metz, was at once recognized by her
two brothers, and afterward married."
" Oh, I hope that is the true end of the story !"
exclaimed Elsie. "It would be so dreadful to
have her put to death for helping to save her
dear country."
"So it would," said Grace; "but in those
early times such dreadful, dreadful deeds used
to be done. I often feel thankful that I did
not live in those days."
"Yes," said Mrs. Travilla, "we may well be
full of gratitude and love to God our Heavenly
Father that our lot has been cast in these better
times and in our dear land."
"And that we have our dear, kind grandma
to love," said Neddie, nestling closer to her,
"and our papa and mamma. Some little chil-
dren haven't any."
"No, I had no mother when I was your age,
Ned," sighed Grandma Elsie, "and I cannot
tell you how much I used to long for her when
Aunt Chloe would tell me how sweet and
lovely she had been, and how sorry she was to
kave her baby."
"Her baby? was that you, grandma?" he
10 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
asked, with a wondering look up into her
face.
"Yes," she replied, with a smile, and strok-
ing his hair caressingly.
"But you had a papa? grandpa is your papa,
isn't he? I hear you call him that sometimes."
"Yes, he is; my dear father and your mam-
ma's grandfather, which makes him yours too."
"Mine, too," said little Elsie, in a tone of
satisfaction.
"Oh, see! here comes the boat with Evelyn
and Uncle Walter in it !"
" You are early to-night as well as ourselves,"
remarked Grace, as they stepped upon the deck
and drew near the little group already gathered
there.
"Yes," returned Evelyn, "I was tired, and
Walter kindly brought me home. The yacht
seems like a home to me nowadays," she added,
with a light laugh.
"Yes," said Grace; "I am sure papa likes to
have us all feel that it is a home to us at present."
"And a very good and comfortable one it
is," remarked Walter, handing Evelyn to a
seat, then taking one himself opposite her and
near his mother's side.
"Where have you two been? and what have
you seen that is worth telling about?" asked
Grace.
ON INLAND WATERS. 11
"Visiting buildings," returned Walter;
"Brazil, Turkey, Hayti, Sweden, and lastly
Venezuela."
"And what did you see there?"
"In Venezuela's exhibit? Christopher
Columbus and General Bolivar that is, their
effigies specimens of birds, animals, minerals,
preserves, spices, coffee, vegetables, fine
needlework, some manufactured goods, and
most interesting of all, we thought the
flag carried by Pizarro in his conquest of
Peru."
"Pizarro? who was he? and what did he do,
Uncle Wai?" asked little Elsie.
"He was a very, very bad man and did
some very, very wicked deeds," replied
Walter.
"Did he kill people?"
"Yes, that he did; and got killed himself at
last. The Bible says, * Whoso sheddeth man's
blood, by man shall his blood be shed,' and
there have been a great many examples of it in
the history of the world."
"Does God say that, Uncle Walter?" asked
Neddie.
"Yes; God said it to Noah, shortly after he
and his family came out of the ark."
" When the flood was over?"
"Yes."
12 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
" Please tell us about that flag and the bad
man that carried it," urged little Elsie, and
Walter complied.
"Pizarro was a Spaniard," he began, "a very
courageous, but covetous and cruel man; very
ignorant, too; he could neither read nor write.
He was a swineherd in his youth, but gave
up that occupation and came over to America
to seek a fortune in this new world. He
crossed the Isthmus of Panama with Balboa and
discovered the Pacific Ocean. While there he
heard rumors of a country farther south, where
gold and silver were said to be as abundant as
iron in Spain, and he was seized with a great
desire to go there and help himself to as much
as possible. So he and another fellow named
Almagro, and Luque, a priest, put their money
together and fitted out a small expedition, of
which Pizarro took command.
"They did not go very far that time, but
afterward tried it again, first making an agree-
ment that all they got of lands, treasures, and
other things, vassals included, should be divided
equally between them.
"They set sail in two ships. They really
reached Peru, and when Pizarro went back to
Panama he carried with him many beautiful
and valuable ornaments of gold and silver
which the kind-hearted natives had given him,
ON INLAND WATERS. 13
also specimens of cloth made of wool and
having a silky appearance and brilliant color,
and some llamas, or alpacas."
"They had certainly treated him very
kindly," remarked Grace, as Walter paused for
a moment in his narrative.
"Yes; and what a mean wretch he must have
been to want to rob them of everything even
to life, liberty, and happiness. He was deter-
mined to do that as soon as possible; so deter-
mined that, not being able to find enough vol-
unteers in Panama, he went all the way back
to Spain (a far greater undertaking then than it
would be now), told the story of his discoveries
before the king, Charles V., and his ministers;
describing the wealth of the countries and
showing the goods and ornaments he had
brought from them.
" Then they gave him what was not theirs
to give permission to conquer Peru, and the
titles of governor and captain-general of that
country. He on his part agreed to raise a cer-
tain number of troops, and to send to the King
of Spain one-fifth of all the treasures he should
obtain. He then returned to Panama and soon
set sail for Peru again."
"With a great many soldiers, Uncle Wai?"
queried little Ned.
"No; with what in these days would be con*
14 ELSIE 1 8 JOURNEY
sidered a very small army; only 180 soldiers,
of whom 27 were cavalry."
"Cavalry?" repeated Ned, in a tone of
enquiry.
" Yes, soldiers on horseback. The Peruvians,
having never before seen a horse, took each
mounted man and the steed he rode to be but
one animal, and were much afraid of them.
The firearms, too, inspired great terror, as they
knew nothing of gunpowder and its uses.
"At that time there was war among the
natives of Peru and Quito. Huano Capac, the
former Inca of Peru, had died some years pre-
vious, leaving Peru to his son Huascar, and
Quito, which he had conquered shortly before,
to another son half-brother to Huascar. The
two had quarrelled and had been fighting each
other for about two years, and just before the
arrival of the Spaniards Atahualpa had defeated
his brother Huascar, taken him prisoner, and
confined him in a strong fortress."
"Perhaps," remarked Evelyn, "if they had
not been so busy fighting each other they might
have discovered the approach of Pizarro, their
common enemy, in season to prevent the mis-
chief he was prepared to do them."
"Very possibly," returned Walter. "As it
was, the Spaniards drew near Atahualpa's vic-
torious camp, where they found fifty thousand
ON INLAND WATEBS. 15
men assembled. Pizarro had at the most only
two hundred ; a mere handful in comparison with
the numbers of the Peruvians, but by a most
daring and diabolical stratagem he got posses-
sion of the unsuspecting Inca. .
"Atahualpa came to visit him in a friendly
spirit. A priest began explaining to him the
Christian, or rather the papal religion; told
him that the Pope had power over all the king-
doms of the earth and that he had presented
Peru to the King of Spain ; also that they had
come to take possession in the name of that
king.
" Naturally that made Atahualpa very angry ;
so angry that he indignantly interrupted the
priest, saying that the Pope whoever he was
must be a crazy fool to talk of giving away
countries which did not belong to him. Then
he asked on what authority such claims were
made.
"The priest pointed to a Bible. Atahualpa
dashed it angrily to the ground, and the fields
began to fill with Indians. Then Pizarro
waved a white scarf the signal he had agreed
upon with his men and his artillery poured
sudden death into the terrified masses of
Indians, while the Spanish cavalry rode them
down in a furious, merciless way. The ranks
of the poor, unarmed Peruvians were thrown
16 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
into confusion; their foes were butchering
them without mercy; they could do little to
save themselves ; they used every effort to de-
fend and save the sacred Inca, but in vain ; and
after hours of that fiendish murdering of the
poor, defenceless creatures, the Spaniards got
full possession of him.
" At first they pretended to be very kind to
him, especially when he offered, as his ransom,
to fill the room in which he stood with gold as
high as he could reach.
" Huascar, in his prison, heard of this and
offered a still larger ransom for himself, and
to prevent it Atahualpa had him secretly
murdered.
"Soon after that the gold for Atahualpa's
ransom began to pour in, and when there was
as much as he had promised he demanded his
freedom. But Pizarro refused to let him go-
though he took the gold accusing him of plot-
ting against him ; and after much base treachery
the Spaniards held a mock trial and condemned
Atahualpa to be burned. But when they led
him out to the stake he consented to be bap-
tized, and for that they were so very merciful as
to strangle before burning him."
"Oh, Uncle Walter, what cruel, cruel men!"
exclaimed little Elsie.
"They were, indeed," sighed her grandma.
ON INLAND WATERS. 17
"The Bible tells us 'the tender mercies of
the wicked are cruel.' Pizarro and his band
were very, very wicked men. They had no
more right to the country of the Peruvians
than the Peruvians would have had to theirs,
had they crossed the ocean to Spain and seized
upon it for their own. 'All they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword,' our Saviour
said, and how true it proved in the case of
these men of whom we have been talking!
Atahualpa caused his brother Huascar to be
killed; Pizarro, Almagro, and the others killed
Atahualpa; Pizarro afterward killed Almagro;
and later on Pizarro was himself slain by
Almagro's son Diego."
CHAPTER II.
NED had begun to uod, and Elsie's eyes
drooped as if she too were in need of a nap;
perceiving which Grandma Elsie bade their
nurse take them to their berth.
A light breeze had sprung up, and it was very
pleasant on deck in the shade of the awning;
while, resting upon couches or in easy chairs,
they talked in a quiet way of the various inter-
esting exhibits to which they had given their
attention since leaving the yacht that morning.
"We visited the Illinois Building," said
Evelyn, "and were very much interested in the
wonderful grain picture there. It is an ideal
prairie farm with farmhouse, barn, stock-
sheds, all made of corn-husks as well as the
picket fence surrounding it; there are stock
and poultry in the barnyard; there is a wind-
mill too, and there are fields and cattle."
"Yes," said Walter, as Eva paused in her
account, "and the perspective showed fields of
grass and grain, pasture too, and sky effects
all made of natural grains, grasses, leaves, and
berries indigenous to Illinois."
18
ON INLAND WATERS.
"Oh, I think I must get papa to take us to
see it!" exclaimed Grace.
"There is a curtain that partly covers the
picture," continued Walter; "it is made of the
same materials and caught up by a rope with
tassels made of yellow corn.
"We visited the Idaho Building too," he
went on, "and I think you should all see it.
It is really picturesque a log-house on a foun-
dation of lava and basaltic rock. The timbers
we were told are from young cedar trees, stuffed
and stained to produce the effect of age;
then it has fine upper and lower balconies
shaded by a projecting roof upheld by brackets
of logs. I heard people remarking that it was
the handsomest log-house ever built, and cer-
tainly I never saw any other nearly so hand-
some.'
"Ah, here comes the boat again with the rest
of our folks!" exclaimed Grace, and springing
to his feet, Walter hastened to the side of the
vessel to assist the ladies in getting on board.
" Well, Lu, have you had a good time since
I left you?" asked Grace, in a lively tone, as
her sister drew near.
"Yes; yes, indeed!" returned Lucilla; "we
have seen and enjoyed a great deal, and I
wouldn't have missed it on any account,
though we are all very tired, I think. I am, I
20 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
know," she concluded, dropping into a seat by
Grace's side.
"As we all are," said Violet. "I am glad,
mamma, that you came back to the yacht when
you did."
"Yes, I thought it wiser not to allow
myself to become very weary before taking
rest; and we have had a pleasant, quiet time
here together," returned Grandma Elsie, look-
ing up with an affectionate smile into the face
of her father, who had just drawn near and was
standing by her side, regarding her with a
slightly anxious look.
"I am glad you were so prudent," he said,
"for you have not been over strong since that
illness that made us all so anxious."
"No; and we all feel that we must be very
careful of our dear mother," remarked the
captain, who had just joined the little
group.
"Of Gracie also," he added, smiling down
into her face and laying a caressing hand for a
moment on her head. "Are you feeling very
tired, daughter?"
" Not so very much now, papa," she answered
brightly; "we have been resting nicely here,
talking over the sights and historical stories
connected with them."
Then, turning to her sister, "Tell us where
ON INLAND WATERS. 21
you have been and what you have seen since
we left the party, Lu," she requested.
"Ah, I am afraid I cannot begin to tell all,"
returned Lucilla, in a lively tone and with a
pleased little laugh, "for 'their name is legion';
the loveliest pictures and statuary in the Fine
Arts Building, and a great variety of curious
and interesting things in Machinery Hall. We
went up to the gallery there and took a ride in
the travelling crane. It is like an elevated
railroad, is moved by electricity, and runs the
whole length of the building, twenty or thirty
feet above the floor. We stepped in at one
end and sat down upon chairs ranged along the
front edge, and it was really entertaining to
watch the crowds of people moving along the
floors below, and to get at last a glance at the
exhibits."
" Exhibits !" echoed Grace. " Of what kind ?
Oh, machines, of course ! But I should hardly
expect them to be very interesting."
"Machines for making ice-cream and candy
would interest you, wouldn't they?" asked
Lulu. "Perhaps the hot baths, too; though I
suppose you wouldn't care much about printing-
presses, rock-drills, sewing-machines, washing-
machines, looms, and the like. I own I didn't
care over much for them myself. But in the
restful, cooling, breezy ride, with nothing to
22 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
do but watch the goings on of other people,
and a glance now and then at something inter-
esting as we glided past it, I did find a good
deal of enjoyment. Ah," drawing out her
pretty little watch and glancing at its face, "I
must excuse myself now and go to my stateroom ;
for! see it is nearly meal time, and my hair and
dress certainly need some attention ;" and with
that she left them.
Mr. Dinsmore and the captain, wishing to
look at some exhibits in which the ladies took
but little interest, went ashore again early in
the evening; leaving Mrs. Dinsmore, Mrs.
Travilla, and the younger ones occupying the
comfortable seats on the Dolphin's deck, and
enjoying the cool evening breeze and the some-
what distant view of the beauties of the bril-
liantly illuminated White City, as well as that
of the starry heavens above them.
Violet had gone down to the cabin with her
children to see them safely in bed, and for
some minutes no one left in the little group
behind had spoken. But presently Grace broke
the silence.
"I have just been thinking what a wonderful
change has come over this part of our country
since the war of 1812. I remember that history
tells us there was only a fort and a trading post
here then, where now this great city stands,
ON INLAND WATERS. 23
and that it was destroyed. Grandma Elsie,
don't you want to tell us the whole story?" she
concluded in a coaxing tone.
"I am willing, if you all wish it," was the
sweet-toned reply, immediately followed by an
eager assent from everyone present.
"Well, then, my dears," she said, "to begin
at the beginning this spot, we are told, was
first visited by a white man in 1674. He was a
French Jesuit called Father Marquette. He
built a cabin there and planted a missionary
station. Eleven years afterward his cabin was
replaced by a fort. I do not know how long
that fort stood, but Lossing tells us that in
1796 a mulatto from St. Domingo found his
way to that far-off wilderness, and that the
Indians said of him 'the first white man who
settled here was a negro.' He did not stay
very long, however, and the improvements he
had made fell into the hands of the next comer,
who was a native of Quebec named John
Kinzie.
"He was an enterprising trader with the
Indians, and for twenty years the only white
man in northern Illinois except a few American
soldiers. It was in 1804 that he made Chicago
his home, and on the Fourth of July of that year
a fort our government had been building there
was formally dedicated and called Fort Dear-
24 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
bora, In honor of the then Secretary of War.
It stood on a slight elevation on the south bank
of the Chicago River, about half a mile from
its mouth, and directly opposite, on the north
bank, stood Mr. Kinzie's dwelling. It was a
modest mansion begun by Jean Baptiste, and
enlarged by Mr. Kinzie. He had some Lom-
bardy poplars planted in front within an
enclosed yard, and at the back a fine garden
and growing orchard.
" There he had lived in peace and prosperity,
esteemed and confided in by the surrounding
Indians, for eight years, when in June of 1812
war was declared by our government with
Great Britain. Of course you all know and
remember what were the causes of that second
struggle with our mother country?"
"Indeed we do, mother," exclaimed Walter.
"She interfered with our commerce, captur-
ing every American vessel bound to, or return-
ing from a port where her commerce was not
favored; and worse still, was continually seiz-
ing our sailors and forcing them into her ser-
vice; depriving us of our God-given rights and
making slaves of freemen. If ever a war was
justifiable on one side that one was on ours.
Is it not so?"
"I think it is, my son," replied Grandma
Elsie, smiling slightly at the lad's heat.
ON INLAND WATERS. 25
"Was Fort Dearborn strong and well built,
mamma?" queried Rosie.
"Yes; it was strongly picketed, had a block-
house at each of two angles on the southern
side, on the north side a sally-port and covered
way that led down to the river for the double
purpose of obtaining water during a siege and
of having a way of escape should that be desir-
able at any time and was strongly picketed.
"The fort was built by Major Whistler, his
soldiers dragging all the timber to the spot be-
cause they had no oxen. Some material was
furnished from Fort Wayne, but so economic-
ally was the work done that the fortress did
not cost the government fifty dollars.
"But to return to my story the garrison
there at the time of the declaration of war con-
sisted of fifty-four men. The only other resi-
dents of the post at that time were the wives
of Captain Heald and Lieutenant Helm, the
second in command, those of some of the sol-
diers, a few Canadians with their wives and
children, and Mr. Kinzie and his family.
" They were all on the most friendly terms
with the principal tribes of Indians in that
neighborhood the Pottawatomies and Winne-
bagoes, yet they could not win them from their
attachment for the British, who yearly made
them *arge presents as bribes to secure their
26 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
alliance. Portions of their tribes had been
engaged in the battle of Tippecanoe, fought
the previous autumn, and since that some of the
leading chief s had seemed sullen, and suspicions
of intended hostility on their part at times
troubled the minds of the officers of the fort.
"One day in the spring of 1812 two Indians
of the Calumet band were at the fort, and see-
ing Mrs. Helm and Mrs. Heald playing at
battledore, one of them, named Nan-non-gee,
turned to the interpreter with the remark,
'The white chiefs'"wives are amusing themselves
very much ; it will not be long before they will
be living in our cornfields. ' "
"Oh!" cried Grace, "I should think that
ought to have been enough to warn the officers
of the fort to make every preparation to repel
an assault by the Indians."
"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, "but Heald
seems to have been strangely blind and deaf to
every kind of warning.
"On the evening of the 7th of April, 1812,
Mr. Kinzie sat by his fireside playing his
violin, his children dancing to the music, when
their mother, who had been attending a sick
neighbor, a Mrs. Burns, living half a mile
above the fort, came rushing wildly in crying
out: 'The Indians! the Indians!' 'What?
where?' exclaimed her husband. 'Up at Lee's,
ON INLAND WATERS. 27
killing and scalping!' she gasped in reply,
and went on to tell that the alarm had been
given by a boy, the son of Mr. Lee, and a
discharged soldier who had been working for
them. They had shouted the dreadful tidings
across the river to the Burns family, as they
ran down the farther side, Mr. Lee's place
being between two and three miles farther up
the stream.
" Not a moment was to be lost. Mr. Kinzie
hurried his family into two pirogues moored
in front of his house, and hastened with them
across the river and into the fort. The alarm
had reached there also, and a scow with Ensign
Ronan and six men started at once up the river
to rescue the Burns family. Also a cannon
was fired to give notice of danger to a party
of soldiers who were out fishing. Mrs. Burns
and her family, including an infant not yet a
day old, were taken safely to the fort."
"I hope those soldiers got back safely too,"
said Grace.
"Yes; they were two miles above Lee's; it
was already dark when they returned, and in
passing his house they came upon the bodies of
murdered and scalped persons, which were the
next day recovered and buried near the fort.
It was afterward learned that the scalping
party were Winnebagoes from Rock River, who
28 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
had come with the intention of killing every
white person outside of the fort, but were
frightened away by the sound of the cannon
before they had finished their fiendish work; so
fled back to their homes.
" In those days an agency house stood upon
the esplanade, about twenty rods west from
the fort, and in it all the whites not belonging
to the garrison now took refuge. It was an
old-fashioned log-house, with a passage through
the centre, and piazzas in front and rear extend-
ing the whole length of the building. These
were planked up, port-holes cut in the barri-
cades and sentinels were posted there every
night.
"Hostile Indians hovered around the post
for some time, helping themselves to whatever
they could lay their hands upon, but at length
disappeared, and for a while there was no fur-
ther alarm.
" On the 7th of August, toward evening, a
friendly Pottawatomie chief, named Win-ne-
meg, or the Catfish, came to Chicago from Fort
Wayne as the bearer of a despatch from Gen-
eral Hull to Captain Heald. In that despatch
Hull told of the declaration of war with Eng-
land, the invasion of Canada, and the loss of
Mackinack. It also ordered Captain Heald to
evacuate Fort Dearborn, if practicable; and if
ON INLAND WATERS. 29
ie did so to distribute all the United States
property there among the Indians in the neigh-
borhood."
"Including guns, powder, and balls with
which to kill the whites!" said Lucilla. "I
think I should have concluded from such an
order that Hull must be either a traitor or an
idiot."
"His idea," said Grandma Elsie, "seems to
have been to make a peace-offering to the
savages to induce them to refrain from joining
the British, then menacing Detroit.
"Win-ne-meg, who had some knowledge of
the contents of the missive he brought, begged
Mr. Kinzie, with whom he was intimate, to
advise Captain Heald not to evacuate the fort,
assuring him it would prove a difficult and
dangerous movement; for the Indians had
already received information from Tecumseh
of the disasters to the American arms and the
withdrawal of Hull's army from Canada, and
were growing insolent and restless. The fort
was well supplied with ammunition and pro-
visions sufficient to last for six months; by the
end of that time relief might be sent, and why
not hold out till then? But if Heald was re-
solved to evacuate, it had better be done at once,
before the Indians should be informed of the
order, and so be prepared to make an attack.
30 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
"Win-ne-meg's advice in that case was to
leave the stores as they were, allowing them
to make distribution for themselves ; for while
they were engaged in that business the white
people might make their way in safety to Fort
Wayne.
"Mr. Kinzie perceived that this was wise
advice, as did the officers of the fort, with the
exception of Heald, who would not listen to ft,
but expressed himself as resolved to yield strict
obedience to Hull's orders as to evacuation and
the distribution of the public property.
" The next morning Hull's order was read to
the troops, and Heald took the whole respon-
sibility of carrying it out. His officers ex-
pected to be summoned to a council, but they
were not. Toward evening they called upon
the commander and remonstrated with him.
They said that the march must necessarily be
slow on account of the women, children, and
infirm persons, therefore, under the circum-
stances, exceedingly perilous. They reminded
him that Hull's order left it to his discretion to
go or to stay; adding that they thought it much
wiser to strengthen the fort, defy the savages,
and endure a siege until help could reach them.
"But Heald replied that he should expect
the censure of the government if he remained,
for special orders had been issued by the War
ON INLAND WATERS. 31
Department that no post should be surrendered
without battle having been given by the
assailed ; and his force was entirely too small to
hazard an engagement with the Indians. He
added that he had full confidence in the profes*
sions of friendship of many chiefs about him,
and he would call them together, make the
required distribution, then take up his march
for Fort Wayne."
"And did the other officers submit to him
then, Grandma Elsie?" asked Grace.
"Yes; my dear, he was in authority, and I
presume they were too loyal to oppose him.
But being determined to abandon the fort, he
should have done so at once ; for delay was cer-
tainly increasing the danger, the Indians be-
coming more unruly every hour; yet he pro-
crastinated and did not call them together for
the final arrangements for two or three days.
"At last that was done and they met near
the fort on the afternoon of the 12th, when
Heald held a farewell council with them. He
invited his oflicers to join him in that, but they
refused. In some way they had been informed
that treachery was intended on the part of the
Indians, that they had planned to murder them
and then destroy those who were in the fort.
Therefore they remained inside "fitie pickets and
opened a port-hole of one of the block-houses so
32 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
that the Indians could see a cannon pointing
directly toward their group, thus protecting
Captain Heald. It had the desired effect ; no
effort was made by the savages to carry out
their treacherous design, they professed friend-
ship, and accepted Heald's offers to distribute
among them the goods in the public store
blankets, calicoes, broadcloths, paints, and
other things such as Indians fancy."
"Beads among them, I presume," remarked
Rosie.
"Very likely," said her mother, "as they
have always been a favorite ornament with the
Indians. The distribution of those goods, the
arms and ammunition and such of the provisions
as would not be needed by the garrison, was to
take place next day ; then the whites were to
leave the fort and set out upon their journey
through the wilderness, the Pottawatomies
engaging to furnish them with an escort, on
condition of being liberally rewarded on their
arrival at Fort Wayne."
" Oh, but I should have been afraid to trust
them!" exclaimed Grace, shuddering at the
very thought of the risk.
"Mr. Kinzie, who knew the Indians so well,
was of your opinion," said Grandma Elsie,
"and earnestly remonstrated with Captain
Heald; telling him they were not to be trusted
ON INLAND WATERS. 33
in the face of such temptations. Especially
he urged him not to put arms and ammunition
in their hands, as that would fearfully increase
their ability to carry on the murderous raids
which had become so frequent and caused so
great terror in the frontier settlements.
"He succeeded in convincing Heald that he
had been very foolish in making that promise,
and he resolved to violate his treaty so far as
the arms and ammunition were concerned.
That very evening something occurred that
certainly ought to have opened Heald 's eyes
and led him to shut the gates of the fort and
defend it to the last extremity. Black Par-
tridge, a chief who had thus far always be,en
friendly to the whites, and who was a man of
great influence too, came to Heaid in a quiet
wajT- and said, 'Father, I come to deliver to you
the medal I wear. It was given me by the
Americans, and I have long worn it in token of
our mutual friendship. But our young men
are resolved to imbrue their hands in the blood
of the white people. I cannot restrain them,
and I will not wear a token of peace while I
am compelled to act as an enemy.'
"And did Heald actually disregard such a
warning as that?" exclaimed Evelyn Leland.
"I really do not see how it co^d gave been
made plainer tha.t the purpose was to attack and
34 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
murder all in the fort as soon as they were
fairly in their power."
" Nor do I," said Grandma Elsie ; " yet Heald
seems to have paid no more attention to it than
to the previous warnings.
"The next morning, August 13, was bright
and cool. The Indians came in great numbers
to receive their promised presents. Only the
goods in the store were distributed that day,
and in the evening Black Partridge said to Mr.
Griffith, the interpreter, * Linden birds have
been singing in my ears to-day; be careful on
the march you are going to take.' This was
repeated to Captain Heald, but solemn warn-
ing as it evidently was, he paid no more atten-
tion to it than he had to previous ones. He
seems to have been perfectly infatuated, and
how he could ever forgive himself in after
years I cannot see. He went steadily on in
the execution of his plans, of which, as I have
told you, all the other officers, Mr. Kinzie, and
friendly Indian chiefs disapproved. That night
he had all the guns but such as his party could
make use of in their journey gunscrews, flint,
shot, and everything belonging to the use of
firearms thrown into the well. This was done
at midnight, when the sentinels were posted
and the Indians in their camp; at least, they
were supposed to be, but the night was dark,
ON INLAND WATERS. 35
Indians can move noiselessly, and some whose
suspicions had been aroused crept to the spot
and made themselves acquainted with what
was going on. Liquor and powder, too, were
poured into the well, and a good deal of alcohol,
belonging to Mr. Kinzie, into the river; also a
portion of the powder and liquor of the fort
was thrown into a canal that came up from
the river far under the covered way. But the
water of the river was sluggish, and so great a
quantity of liquor had been thrown into it that
in the morning it was like strong grog; and
powder could be seen floating on the surface."
"And of course the Indians, who loved liquor,
were angry when they saw how it had been
wasted, instead of given to them," remarked
Grace.
"Yes; their complaints and threats were
loud, and now the little garrison had no choice
but to brave the danger of exposing themselves
to their vengeance, for it was no longer pos-
sible to hold the fort, and they must set out
upon their perilous journey. Ah ! if Heald had
but been less obstinately bent upon having his
own way more willing to listen to the advice
and remonstrances of his officers, Kinzie, who
understood the Indians so well, and the warri-
ing of the friendly chiefs, much suffering might
have been averted and valuable lives saved.
36 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Mrs. Heald had an uncle, the brave Captain
William Wells, who had passed most of his life
among the Miami Indians and been made one
of their chiefs. He had heard at Fort Wayne
of Hull's order to evacuate Fort Dearborn, and
knowing of the hostility of the Pottawatomies,
had made a rapid march across the country
with a party of his Miamis to reinforce Heald
and help him to hold and defend the fort. But
he arrived just too late; the means of defence
had already been destroyed, and there was no
choice but to attempt the perilous march
through the wilderness.
"Nine o'clock of the 15th was the hour set
for the evacuation, and it was already evi-
dent that the Indians intended to massacre the
whites men, women, and children. Nor could
they entertain any hope of being able to defend
themselves, so overwhelming was the number
of their savage foes, 500 warriors against 54
soldiers, 12 civilians, and 3 or 4 women."
"But there were the Miamis with Wells,
mamma," remarked Rosie.
"Who proved of no assistance," returned
Grandma Elsie. "Lossing tells us that when,
at nine o'clock, the gates were thrown open, and
the march began, it was like a funeral procession.
The band struck up the Dead March in 'Saul.'
Captain Wells, with his friendly Miamis, took
ON INLAND WATERS. 37
the lead, his face blackened with gunpowder in
token of his impending fate. His niece, Mrs.
Heald, with her husband, came next, while the
others, I presume, followed in the order of
their rank."
" Were the Kinzies with them ? " asked
Grace.
"Mr. Kinzie was, hoping by his personal
influence to be able to soften, if not avert their
impending fate. His family had left in a boat,
in charge of a friendly Indian who was to take
them to his other trading station, where Niles,
Mich., now stands. Poor Mrs. Kinzie! having
a daughter among the seemingly doomed ones,
how terribly anxious and distressed she must
have been!" added Grandma Elsie in tones
tremulous with feeling. A moment of silence
followed, then she went on with her narrative.
CHAPTER III.
" THE procession, escorted by the five hundred
Pottawatomies, moved slowly along the lake
shore in a southerly direction till they had
reached the Sand Hills between the prairie and
the beach. There the Indians filed to the
right, so that the hills were between them and
the white people.
" Wells and his mounted Miamis, who were
in the advance, came suddenly dashing back,
their leader shouting, 'They are about to attack
us: form instantly!'
" The words had scarcely left his lips when
a storm of bullets came from the Sand Hills.
The Pottawatomies, both treacherous and
cowardly, had made of those hills a covert from
which to attack the little band of whites.
" The troops were hastily brought into line,
charged up the hill, and one of their number, a
white-haired man of seventy, fell dead from
his horse, the first victim of the perfidy of the
Indians hounded on by the inhuman Proctor, a
worse savage than they.
" The Miamis proved cowardly and fled at the
ON INLAND WATERS. 39
first onset. Their chief rode up to the Potta-
watomies, charged them with perfidy, and
brandishing his tomahawk told them he would
be the first to lead Americans to punish them;
then, wheeling his horse, he dashed away over
the prairie, following his fleeing companions.
"Both men and women among the whites
fought bravely for their lives; they could not
hope to save them, but they would sell them to
the savage foe as dearly as possible. It was a
short, desperate, bloody conflict. Lossing tells
us that Captain Wells displayed the greatest
coolness and gallantry. At the beginning of the
fight he was close beside his niece, Mrs. Heald.
"<We have not the slightest chance for life,'
he said to her. 4 We must part to meet no more
in this world; God bless you!' and with that
he dashed forward into the midst of the fight.
Seeing a young warrior, painted like a demon,
climb into a wagon in which were twelve chil-
dren, and scalp them all, he forgot his own
. danger, and burning to avenge the dreadful
deed, cried out, 'If butchering women and chil-
dren is their game, I'll kill too!' at the same
time dashing toward the Indian camp where
they had left their squaws and papooses.
"Instantly swift-footed young warriors were
Jn hot pursuit, firing upon him as they ran,
While he, lying close to his horse's neck, occa
40 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
sionally turned and fired upon them. He had
got almost beyond the range of their rifles
when a shot killed his horse and wounded him
severely in the leg.
"Yelling like fiends the young savages
rushed forward to make him prisoner, intend-
ing, as he well knew, not to kill him at once,
but to reserve him for a lingering and painful
death by slow torture. Two Indian friends of
his Win-ne-rneg and Wau-ban-see tried to
save him, but in vain; and he, knowing well
for what fate he would be reserved if taken
alive, taunted his pursuers with the most in-
sulting epithets, to provoke them to kill him
instantly.
"He succeeded at last by calling one of
them, Per-so-tum by name, a squaw, which so
enraged him that he despatched Wells at once
with a tomahawk, jumped upon his body, tore
out his heart, and ate a portion of it with sav-
age delight."
"Oh, how awful!" cried Grace, shuddering
with horror. "How his niece must have felt
when she saw it!"
"Very possibly she did not see it," said
Grandma Elsie, "so busy as she must have been
in defending herself. She was an expert with
the rifle and as an equestrienne, defended her-
self bravely, and received severe wounds ; but,
ON INLAND WATERS. 41
though faint and bleeding, managed to keep
the saddle. An Indian raised his tomahawk
over her and she looked him full in the face,
saying, with a melancholy smile, 'Surely you
would not kill a squaw!' At that his arm fell,
but he took the horse by the bridle and led it
toward the camp with her still in the saddle.
It was a fine animal, and the Indians had been
firing at her in order to get possession of it, till
she had received seven bullets in her person.
Her captor had spared her for the moment, but
as he drew near the camp, his covetousness so
overcame his better impulses that he took her
bonnet from her head and was about to scalp
her when Mrs. Kinzie, sitting in her boat,
whence she had heard the sounds of the conflict
but could not see the combatants, caught sight
of them and cried out to one of her husband's
clerks who was standing on the beach, <Run,
run, Chandonnai! That is Mrs. Heald. He is
going to kill her. Take that mule and offer it
as a ransom.'
" Chandonnai made haste to obey the order,
offered the mule and two bottles of whisky in
addition, and as the three amounted to more
value than Proctor's offered bounty for a scalp,
he succeeded, and Mrs. Heald was placed in the
boat and there hidden from the eyes of other
scalp-hunters."
42 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"I think you were right, Grandma Elsie, in
calling that Proctor a worse savage than those
Indians! bribing them as he did to murder
men, women, and children !" exclaimed Lucilla,
her eyes flashing with indignation.
" Is it quite certain that he did ? J: aske
Grace.
"Quite," replied Grandma Elsie. "Lossing
tells us that Proctor had offered a liberal sum
for scalps, and that in consequence nearly
all the wounded men were killed, their scalps
carried to him at Maiden, and such a bounty
paid for them as is given for the destruction of
so many wolves. In a footnote Lossing gives
an extract from Niles' "Weekly Register of April
3, 1813, in which it is stated that Mrs. Helm
had arrived in Buffalo, and in the narrative she
gave of her sufferings at and after the massacre
at Chicago said, * Colonel Proctor, the British
commander at Maiden, bought the scalps of our
murdered garrison at Chicago,' and thanks to
her noble spirit, she boldly charged him with
the infamy in his own house."
"Did he deny it?" asked Evelyn.
" We are not told that he did ; but no doubt
he was angered, for he afterward treated both
her and her husband with great cruelty, causing
them to be arrested and sent across the wilder-
ness from Detroit to Niagara frontier, in the
ON INLAND WATERS. 43
dead of a Canadian winter. The writer also
stated that Mrs. Heald had learned from the
tribe with whom she was a prisoner, and who
were the perpetrators of those murders, that
they intended to remain true, but received
orders from the British to cut off our garrison
whom they were to escort.
"In our wars with England many British
officers have shown themselves extremely cruel,
not a whit behind the savages in that re-
spect, but it would be very wrong to judge of
the whole nation by their conduct; for there
were in the mother country many who felt
kindly toward America and the Americans.
And I think," she added, with her own sweet
smile, "that there are many more now."
" It seems Mrs. Helm too escaped with her
life," said Walter; "but she was wounded, I
presume, mother, since you just spoke of her
sufferings both at and after the massacre."
"Yes, a stalwart young Indian attempted to
scalp her; she sprang to one side, and the blow
from his tomahawk fell on her shoulder instead
of her head ; at the same instant she seized him
around the neck and attempted to take his
scalping-knife, which hung in a sheath on his
breast. Before the struggle was ended another
Indian seized her, dragged her to the margin of
the lake, plunged her in, and to her astonish-
44 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
ment held her there in a way to enable her to
breathe; so that she did not drown. Presently
she discovered that he was the friendly Black
Partridge, and that he was engaged in saving
instead of trying to destroy her life.
" The wife of a soldier named Corbord fought
desperately, suffering herself to be cut to pieces
rather than surrender; believing that, if taken
prisoner, she would be reserved for torture.
The wife of Sergeant Holt was another brave
woman. At the beginning of the engagement
her husband was badly wounded in the neck,
and taking his sword she fought like an Ama-
zon. She rode a fine, spirited horse, which the
Indians coveted, and several of them attacked
her with the butts of their guns, trying to dis-
mount her, but she used her sword with such
skill that she foiled them ; then suddenly wheel-
ing her horse, she dashed over the prairie, a
number of them in hot pursuit and shouting,
'The brave woman! the brave woman! don't
hurt her!'"
"Did they overtake her?" asked Grace.
"Yes, at length; when a powerful savage
seized her by the neck and dragged her back-
ward to the ground while several others en-
gaged her in front."
"Oh, I hope they didn't kill her!" exclaimed
Grace.
ON INLAND WATERS. 45
"No," replied Mrs. Travilla; "she was after-
ward raDsomed. But to go on with my story.
Presently the firing ceased ; the little band of
whites who had escaped death succeeded in
breaking through the ranks of the assassins
who gave way in front and rallied on the flank,
and gained a slight eminence on the prairie
near a grove called the Oak Woods. The
Indians gathered upon the Sand Hills and gave
signs of a willingness to parley. Two-thirds
of the whites had been killed or wounded;
only 28 strong men remained to cope with
the fury of nearly 500 savages they had lost
but 15 in the conflict. To prolong the con-
test would be little better than madness.
Captain Heald, accompanied only by a half-
breed boy in Mr. Kinzie's service, went for-
ward and met Black-Bird on the open prairie
to arrange terms of surrender.
"It was agreed that all the whites who had
survived the conflict should become prisoners
of war, to be exchanged as soon as practicable.
With this understanding captors and captives
all started for the Indian camp near the fort.
On arriving there another terrible scene ensued.
The Indians did n^ consider the wounded to
be included in the terms of surrender, and
immediately proceeded to kill and scalp nearly
all of them."
46 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
" To gain the bounty offered by that human,
or inhuman fiend Proctor !" exclaimed Walter.
"I wonder how he viewed that transaction
when he came to die."
" I am sure that in the sight of God he was a
wholesale murderer," said Rosie; "a murderer
not of men only, but of innocent women and
children also."
"Yes," said her mother, "there were twelve
children killed, besides Captain Wells, Surgeon
Van Voorhees, Ensign Ronan, and twenty-six
private soldiers.
" Toward evening the family of Mr. Kinzie
were permitted to return to their own home,
where they found the friendly Black Partridge
waiting for them. Mrs. Helm, the daughter of
Mrs. Kinzie, you will remember was his pris-
oner. He placed her in the house of a French-
man named Ouilmette. But the Kinzies and
all the prisoners were in great danger from
a freshly arrived band of Pottawatomies from
the Wabash, who were thirsting for blood and
plunder. They thoroughly searched Mr. Kin-
zie's house for victims; but some friendly
Indians arrived just in time to prevent the
carrying out of their bloodthirsty intentions.
These were led by a half-breed chief called Billy
Caldwell. Black Partridge told him of the
evident purpose of the Wabash Indians, who
ON INLAND WATERS. 47
had blackened their faces and were sitting sul-
lenly in Mr. Kinzie's parlor, no doubt intend-
ing presently to start out and engage in the
savage work they had planned. Billy went in
and said in a careless way, as he took off hit
accoutrements: 'How now, my friends! A
good-day to you! I was told there were ene-
mies here, but I am glad to find only friends.
Why have you blackened your faces? Is it that
you are mourning for your friends lost in battle?
Or is it that you are fasting? If so, ask our
friend here (indicating Mr. Kinzie) and he will
give you to eat. He is the Indians' friend, and
never yet refused them what they had need of.'
"Hearing all this the Wabash Indians were
ashamed to own what their intention had been,
and so the threatened massacre did not take
place. The prisoners were divided among the
captors and finally reunited or restored to their
friends and families."
" But they must have had a great deal to en-
dure before that happy consummation," sighed
Evelyn. "Oh, I think we can never be thank-
ful enough that we live in these better times !"
"So do I," said Grace. "How very dread-
ful it must be to fall into the hands of savages
and meet with a death so awful and sudden!
I wish I knew that they were all Christians and
ready for heaven,"
48 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"I can echo that wish," said Grandma Elsie,
in tones full of sadness; "but I very much fear
that they were not. Some we may hope were,
but it is said, on what seems good authority,
that Mrs. Helm, in telling of that terrible scene
near the Sand Hills, spoke of the terror of Dr.
Van Voorhees. He had been wounded badly,
and his horse shot under him, when he asked
her, 'Do you think they will take our lives?'
and then spoke of offering a large ransom for
his. She advised him not to think of that, but
of inevitable death. 'Oh, I cannot die! I am
not fit to die!' he exclaimed. 'If I had only a
short time to prepare for it death is awful!'
" 'Look at that man! at least he dies like a
soldier,' she said, pointing to Ensign Ronan.
'Yes,' gasped the doctor, 'but he has no terror
of the future he is an unbeliever.'
"Just then Mrs. Helm's struggle with the
young Indian who attempted to tomahawk her
began, and directly afterward she saw the dead
body of Van Voorhees."
"Oh, poor, poor fellow!" exclaimed Grace,
tears starting to her eyes. " One would think
that, in such circumstances as theirs had been
for months, every man and woman would have
been careful to make sure work for eternity."
"Yes, but Satan is ever tempting men to
delay, and perhaps more souls are, in Christian
ON INLANL WATERS. 49
lands, lost through procrastination than from
any other cause," sighed Grandma Elsie.
" 'Now is the accepted time; now is the day of
salvation.'"
There was a moment of silence, broken by
Evelyn.
"I remember when I was a very little girl,
papa used to talk to me about being a Chris-
tian, and that once I answered him, 'I would,
papa, if I only knew how,' and he said, 'It is
very simple, daughter; just to believe in the
Lord Jesus, take him for your Saviour, and give
yourself to him soul and body, time, talents,
influence all that you have or ever shall have,
to be his forever, trusting in him with all your
heart, sure that he meant all that he said in
speaking to Nicodemus 'God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.' And that other,
'Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out.' Those two texts seem to me to make the
way very simple and plain."
"They do indeed," said Grandma Elsie, "and
anyone who has the Bible and will study it
faithfully, with earnest prayer to God for help
to understand and obey its teachings, can
hardly fail to find the way."
CHAPTER IV.
THE greater part of the next day was spent
by our friends in a farewell visit to the Fair;
but the sun had not yet set when again they
all gathered upon the Dolphin's deck, and she
weighed anchor and proceeded on her course
up the lake.
"What a wonderful city it is to be so
young!" remarked Mr. Dinsmore when they
reached Chicago.
"Yes, sir," said Rosie. "Mamma was giv-
ing us a little sketch of its early history, last
evening; and we found it very interesting; but
I can't say that the events here, or anywhere
else, for that matter, of the war of 1812-14
have increased my love for the British. Think
of them hiring the Indians to kill men, women,
and children, paying just the bounty for them
that they would for so many wolf -scalps!"
"Yes, it was barbarous indeed; but do not
forget that even in the days of the Revolution
there were Britons who viewed such doings
with horror. In 1777 there was a debate in the
so
ON INLAND WATERS. 51
English Parliament concerning the employment
of Indians against the American colonists, when
a member of the House of Lords spoke in
approval of it, saying it was right to use the
means given them by God and Nature. 'God
and Nature!' repeated the Earl of Chatham in
scornful tones. * Those abominable principles
and this most abominable avowal of them
demand most decisive indignation. I call upon
that right reverend bench (pointing to the
bishops), those holy ministers of the Gospel
and pious pastors of the Church I conjure them
to join in the holy work, and to vindicate the
religion of their God.' That showed that he
(Chatham) was strongly opposed to such bar-
barity, but his appeal to the bishops was vain.
Every man of them voted for the employment
of the savages in a war against their brethren,
who were fighting for their freedom after years
of patient endurance of oppression years of
patient but unsuccessful effort to gain it by
peaceful means."
" Yes, I have always admired William Pitt !"
said Rosie. " But did any of the British people
disapprove of the employment of the Indians
in the war of 1812, grandpa?"
"I presume a great many did, though I do
not just now remember any historical mention
of the fact," replied Mr. Dinsmore, "except
52 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
among those whose business interests were sure
or likely to suffer," he added musingly.
"Those Sand Hills from behind which the
Pottawatomies fired upon the whites are quite
gone now, are they not, papa?" asked Grace.
"Yes," replied Captain Raymond, "the city
now covers the entire theatre of the events of
that dreadful day. It has been a rapid and
wonderful transformation."
"Don't you think, papa, it might have been
saved I mean Fort Dearborn if Captain
Heald had not been so obstinately determined
to do as he thought best, regardless of the
opinions of his officers and Mr. Kinzie, and
the warnings of friendly Indians ? " asked
Grace.
"I do, indeed," was the emphatic reply.
"And that Mackinack, which fell into the
hands of the British about a month earlier,
might have been saved to our country but for
the criminal neglect of the then Secretary of
War. Hancks, who was in command, did not
know, had not heard of the declaration of war,
though he might have been informed of it
nearly a week earlier than the news reached
the British commander of Fort St. Joseph, who
led the attack, and by reason of the ignorance
of the garrison and its commander of the true
state of affairs came upon them so unexpectedly
ON INLAND WATERS. 53
that they had no opportunity to defend the
fortress."
"Oh, tell us the story of it, papa, please!"
pleaded little Elsie, and drawing her to a seat
upon his knee, he complied at once.
"The fort was built in the first place by the
French," he said, "and taken from them by the
English when they conquered Canada. The
Indians were not pleased with the change and
said to the English, 'You have conquered the
French, but you have not conquered us.' Per-
haps you may remember what I told you some
weeks ago about the attack of the Indians upon
the people in the fort. The Indians were play-
ing ball outside the walls of the fortress, and,
pretending to be very friendly, invited the
garrison to view the game. It was a gay and
exciting scene, and the unsuspicious members
of the garrison were looking on with interest,
forgetting to be on their guard against
treachery, when a ball went up in a lofty curve
and fell near the pickets of the fort.
"It was a preconcerted signal; the warriors
instantly rushed toward the fort, armed with
hatchets which their squaws had concealed
under their blankets, and the whites being
taken by surprise, a dreadful massacre followed.
" The following year the fort was again gar-
risoned by the English, the Indians fleeing at
54 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
their approach. After the Revolutionary War
in 1796 the island with its fort came into
possession of the United States, the western
military posts being surrendered to the Ameri-
cans by the British, and in 1812 the fortress,
then called Fort Holmes, was garrisoned by
fifty-seven men under the command of Lieu-
tenant Hancks of the United States Artillery.
As a defence of the fur-traders and the scat-
tered settlements of the Northwest, it was a
very important post. You doubtless remem-
ber that it stands on a bluff overlooking the
harbor."
"It is a beautiful place in the summer," re-
marked Grace, "but must be dreary enough
through the long winters."
"It is," said her father, "yet by no means so
dreary now as it was in those days, surrounded
by hordes of savages ever ready to raise the
hatchet in the pay of those who seemed to be
the stronger party.
" Lieutenant Hancks and his garrison knew
that in the event of war they must be' prepared
to defend themselves, but as you have just
been told, they were left in uncertainty for
nearly a week after the news should have
reached them. There had been rumors of
expected hostilities brought by traders, but the
first intimation that there had been an actual
ON INLAND WATERS. 55
declaration of war was given by the arrival of
the English Captain Roberta, on the morning
of the 17th of July, with his garrison of British
regulars 46, including 4 officers 260 Cana-
dian militia, and Y15 Indians Ottawas, Chip-
pewas, Sioux, Winnebagoes.
"They came in boats, bateaux, canoes, con-
voyed by the brig Caledonia, which belonged
to the Northwest Fur Company and was laden
with provisions and stores.
" On the morning of the day before, the Indian
interpreter had told Hancks he had reliable in-
formation that the Indians were assembling in
large numbers at St. Joseph and were about
to attack Fort Holmes.
" Hancks had no sooner heard that than he
summoned the American gentlemen on the
island to a conference on the matter, at which
it was decided to send a messenger to St.
Joseph to learn, if possible, the temper of the
commandant, and to watch the movements of
the Indians.
"Captain Darman was the man chosen, and
he set off upon his errand about sunset that
same evening."
" All by himself, papa, when it was just get-
ting dark, too?" asked Elsie. "How could he
tee to row his boat?"
"A full moon shone in the sky, daughter, and
56 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
lighted him on his way," replied the captain.
" But he had gone only fifteen miles when he
met the boats carrying the British and Indians,
and was taken prisoner by them."
"And did they kill him and scalp him, papa?"
"No; they let him go on condition that he
would return to the island in advance of them,
call the people together to the west side of it
to receive the protection of a British guard for
themselves and their property, and not give
Lieutenant Hancks any information of the
approach of the enemy. Also he was to warn
the people that if any of them carried the news
to the fort there would be a general massacre.
Darman was landed at dawn, and did exactly
as he had promised."
"Oh, papa! and didn't anybody warn the
poor fellows in the fort?"
"Yes; a Dr. Day, braver than any of the
rest, hurried to the fort and gave the alarm
while the others were fleeing from the village
to escape from the bloodthirsty savages. But
it was too late ; the enemy had already landed
and taken one of their two heavy guns to the
top of the hill at the back of the fort, placing it
BO as to command the American works at their
weakest point. By nine o'clock Roberts had
possession of the heights, and hideously painted
savages were swarming everywhere.
ON INLAND WATERS. 57
1C
"At half -past eleven the Americans were
summoned to surrender the fortress to the
forces of his 'Britannic Majesty. ' Hancks then
held a consultation with his officers and the
American gentlemen in the fort, and all agree-
ing in the opinion that it would be impossible
to defend it against such overwhelming numbers
over a thousand, while the garrison could
boast but fifty-seven men rank and file -he
decided that it was expedient to surrender.
"Honorable terms were granted and at noon
the American colors were taken down and those
of Great Britain substituted in their steado
The prisoners were all paroled, and those who
desired to leave the island were sent in a British
vessel to Detroit."
" I should hardly have supposed any Ameri-
can would want to stay here under British
rule," remarked Grace.
"An order was presently issued that all upon
the island who would not take the oath of alle-
giance to the British government must leave
there within a month," said Captain Raymond.
"And they didn't let the Indians kill any-
body, papa?" asked Elsie.
"No," replied her father, "but it is alto-
gether likely that if there had been any resist-
ance many, if not all, would have fallen vic-
tims to the bloodthirsty savages, for one of the
58 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
British, who had command of 280 of the Indians,
said in a letter to Colonel Glaus at Fort George,
*It was a fortunate circumstance that the fort
surrendered without firing a single gun, for ha|
they done so, I firmly believe not a soul woulf
have been saved.'
" The capture of Mackinaw was a great loss to
our country, was it not, father?" asked Lucilla.
" Yes, it was indeed," responded the captain,
"a loss to the fur- trade of the West and a ter-
rible calamity to the people of Detroit and
other Western pioneers. It gave the enemy
command of the upper lakes with all the advan-
tages connected with it, and exposed Detroit ta
fearful raids by the hostile Indians."
"And all that dreadful state of affairs was
the result of the unpardonable negligence
of the Secretary of War!" she exclaimed.
"Really, I don't see how he could ever forgive
himself."
"No, nor do I," said Rosie, "especially when
afterward Detroit too fell into the hands of the
British; for its fall was a great assistance to
the British cause."
"Yes," said Walter, "in more ways than one;
for they got arms, ammunition, and stores;
also it was months before another invading
army of Americans could be raised and furnished
with arms and other necessaries; and in the
ON INLAND WATERS. 59
meantime the British made their preparations
for further attacks upon us. They got valuable
stores at Mackinaw, too; among them seven
hundred packages of costly furs. By the way,
Brother Levis, was there not an attempt made
by our troops, later on in the war, to repossess
Mackinaw?"
" Yes ; Mackinaw was the key to the traffic in
furs of the Northwest ; therefore the Americans
were determined to recapture it, and the British
fully as determined to keep possession of it;
for which purpose they sent there a considerable
body of troops consisting of regulars, Canadian
militia, and seamen. They took with them
twenty-four bateaux loaded with ordnance, and
found on the island a large body of Indians
waiting to join them as allies. That was in
April, 1814, and about the same time Com-
mander Arthur St. Clair with a little squadron
consisting of the Caledonia, St. Lawrence,
Niagara, Tigress, and Scorpion, started on a
land and naval expedition to the upper lakes.
The land force, under the command of Lieu-
tenant-colonel Croghan, the gallant defender
of Fort Stephenson, was attacked by the Brit-
ish and Indians August 1, 1813."
"Oh, yes, I remember!" exclaimed Walter.
" What splendid work he did there, though he
was but twenty-one years old !"
CO ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"The expedition left Detroit early in July,"
continued the captain. "I will not go into the
whole story of its action at present; sufficient
to say they arrived at Mackinaw on the 26th of
July. They soon learned that the enemy was
very strong in position and numbers, and it
was a question between St. Clair and Croghan
whether it would be wise to make an immediate
attack. The guns of the vessels could not
damage the works because they were so ele-
vated, and they could not carry the place by
storm.
"Finally it was decided that Croghan should
land on the western side of the island, under
cover of the guns of the vessels, and try to
attack the works in the rear. He did so on the
4th of August, landing without much molesta-
tion, but was presently met by the garrison,
who were strongly supported by the Indians in
the thickets; also a storm of shot and shell
was poured upon them from a battery of guns.
There was a sharp fight and Croghan was com-
pelled to fall back and return to the ship; 1
officer and 12 privates had been killed, 52
wounded, and 2 others were missing.
"The attempt to recover Mackinaw at that
time had to be given up, and most of the little
squadron sailed for Detroit. The Scorpion and
the Tigress were left behind to blockade the
ON INLAND WATERS. 61
only route by which provisions and other sup-
plies could reach Mackinaw. The two vessels
cruised about for some time till the garrison
was threatened with starvation or surrender in
order to avert it; but early in September they
were both captured by British and Indians sent
out from the fort. They came in five boats and
surprised the Tigress first, when the Scorpion
was said to be fifteen miles away. She was at
anchor near the shore, it was about nine o'clock
in the evening, intensely dark, and the enemy
was within fifty yards of the vessel when dis-
covered.
" The Americans made a gallant defence, but
were overpowered by numbers, there being but
thirty of them beside the officers, and 'about
one hundred of the assailants. Lieutenant
Bulger, the British commander of the expedi-
tion, said in his report of the affair that the
defence of the vessel did credit to her officers,
who were all severely wounded. They and the
crew were all sent prisoners of war to Macki-
naw, while Bulger and his men remained on
board the Tigress. They kept her position
unchanged and her pennant flying, and when,
on the 5th, the Scorpion was seen approaching,
Bulger ordered his men to hide.
" All this deceived the men on the Scorpion;
they thought the Tigress was still in the hands
42 ELSIE" S JOURNEY.
of their comrades, and when within two miles
anchored for the night. At dawn the next
morning the British ran the Tigress down along-
side of her, the concealed soldiers ran out from
their hiding-places, rushed on board the Scor-
pion, and in a few minutes the British flag was
floating over her."
"And the British were very jubilant over
the capture, as I remember reading," remarked
Violet.
"And not very truthful in their report of it,"
added Walter. "Lossing says Adjutant-Gen-
eral Baynes actually reported in a general order
that the vessels had crews of 300 each ; only
exaggerating 570 in stating the aggregate of
the crews of the two schooners."
But just here the talk was interrupted by
the not unwelcome summons to their evening
meal.
, \ -.
CHAPTER V.
As they left the table and gathered upoi*
deck on the evening of the next day, the cap-
tain announced that they were nearing Mack-
inaw.
"I am glad of that, papa," said Grace;
"for we shall have a lovely view of it by moon-
light."
"Are we going to stop there, sir?" asked
Walter.
"Not unless someone particularly desires it,"
returned the captain; "but we will pass slowly
and quite near, so that we may all have a good
view of it. Ah ! it can be seen in the distance
now," he added, pointing it out.
"And though the sun has set the moon wiH,
as Gracie says, give us a lovely view of it,"
remarked Violet.
"Yes, she is nearly full," said the captain,
glancing skyward, "which will help us to a
more vivid conception of how things looked to
Barman when he set out for Fort St. Joseph,
on the 16th of July, 1812."
" I'm glad of that," said Lucilla. " I want to
63
64 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
be able to imagine just how things looked at
that time."
" Yes," said Grace, "but it is far more de-
lightful to know that no war is going on now,
and we are in no danger from either civilized
or savage foes."
" It is indeed !" responded her father. " Peace
is a great blessing; war a dreadful scourge."
" It is an Indian name the island bears, is it
not, captain?" asked Evelyn.
"Yes; and the meaning is the Great Turtle,
alluding to its shape. Notice that as we
approach, and see if you do not think the name
appropriate."
"To the tongue of which of the Indian
tribes does the name belong, sir?" asked
Walter.
"The Algonquin."
" The harbor is considered a fine one, is it
not?"
"Yes; it is semicircular, 1 mile long; the
strait is 40 miles long and 4 miles wide; the
island 7 miles in circumference. Now we are
near enough for a good view."
"What makes it look so white, papa?"
queried little Elsie.
" It is limestone rock, my child," replied her
father. "See the village down near the water
and the fort on higher ground the white cliffs
ON INLAND WATERS. 65
half covered with green foliage beyond it the
ruins of old Fort Holmes."
" The one the British took in that war you
told about, papa?"
"The very same," he said. "I believe you
were not by when I pointed it out to the others
on our former visit to the island."
"No, sir; I think Neddie and I were asleep
in our berths."
"Yes, so you were," said her mother. "Ah,
my dear," to her husband, "what a lovely sight
it is by this witching light !"
"Yes," he said. "I think we will visit it
again one of these days, when we can spend
more time in viewing the various interesting
places such as the Arch Rock, a natural
bridge almost as picturesque as the famous one
in Virginia, the Rabbit's Peak, Giant's Cause-
way, and the Lover's Leap. We are passing
that last now; and I want you all to notice a
projecting crag at the other end of the island,
called Robinson's Folly. These are all famous
places, and each has its legendary story."
They steamed slowly past, greatly enjoying
the moonlight view of the island; then, as it
faded from sight, the speed of the vessel was
increased, and before the older ones had retired
they had entered Lake Huron.
The pleasant weather continued, and most of
66 ELSIE' 8 JOWRNEY
them spent the greater part of the following
day upon the deck.
" We will reach Detroit early this evening, I
suppose, Brother Levij?" said Rosie, in a tone
of enquiry.
"Should nothing happen to prevent," was the
pleasant-toned reply. " And now I wonder if
my pupils can tell us most of the history of that
city?"
"Beginning with the war of 1812, 1 suppose,
as we have already gone over the story of the
doings of Pontiac?"
" Yes ; but first I shall give you a few facts
concerning its settlement, growth, and so forth:
" It is by far the oldest city in the western
part of our country, and older than either
Philadelphia or Baltimore on the seaboard. It
was founded by the French in 1670, as an out-
post for the prosecution of the fur-trade ; and
as late as 1840 it still had less than 10,000
inhabitants. It is on the west side of Detroit
River, about 7 miles from Lake St. Clair and
18 from Lake Erie. Can you tell me the
meaning of the name Detroit, Elsie, daughter?"
"No, papa, you never taught me that,"
replied the little girl.
" It is the French for strait," he said. " The
trait or river connecting Lakes St. Clair and
Erie gave the name to the city."
ON INLAND WATERS. 67
"At the time we are talking of when Gen-
eral Hull was marching toward the place
Detroit had only 160 houses and a population of
about 800, most of them of French descent. It
was a very small place considering its age, for
it was a trading-post as early as 1620, and
established as a settlement as early as 1701,
when a Jesuit missionary came there with one
hundred men. So it was a very old town
though so small; but seven years before there
had been a fire that destroyed all the houses
but one."
"But there was a fort, was there not, papa?"
asked Grace.
"Yes," replied the captain; "on a hill back
of the town, about 250 yards from the river;
built by the English after their conquest of
Canada more than 100 years ago. It covered
about 2 acres of ground, was quadrangular in
shape, with bastions and barracks. It had
embankments nearly 20 feet high, a deep, dry
ditch, and was surrounded by a double row of
pickets.
"The town too was surrounded by strong
pickets 14 feet high, with loopholes to shoot
through. Those pickets had been erected as
defences against the Indians, and were still in
good condition. There were in them foul
strong gates on different streets."
68 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Then the British couldn't get in to harm
the folks, could they, papa?" asked Elsie.
"They would be able to, when they had
finished the fortifications they had begun to
build on the opposite side of the river," replied
the captain ; " so General Hull decided that it
would be best to cross at once and drive them
away.
"It was not easy to find boats enough to take
his twenty-two hundred men across, but by
great exertion he succeeded in getting enough
to carry four hundred at a time, but should the
British see them crossing they would in all
probability attack that small number before the
others could cross to take part in the fight. So
Hull resorted to strategy. Toward the evening
of the llth all the boats were sent down the
river in full view of the British, while at the
same time Colonel M'Arthur with his regiment
marched away in the same direction. The
British were deceived and made ready to dis-
pute their passage. But after dark troops and
boats returned up the river past Detroit to
Bloody Bridge, a mile and a half above the
town, and made arrangements to cross the river
there, which they did.*'
" Why was it called by that dreadful name
Bloody Bridge, papa?" asked Elsie.
"Because the Indians in Pontiac's time
ON INLAND WATERS. 69
attacked and killed so many fifty-nine of the
English there. Do you not remember my tell-
ing you about it?"
"Oh, yes, sir, when we went to Mackinaw
before !" exclaimed the little girl.
"At dawn the regular troops and the Ohio
volunteers crossed over to the Canadian side,
and there hoisted the American flag," continued
the captain.
"But I shall not now go into all the details
of the marching and fighting that followed
how Hull changed his orders and restrained his
brave, patriotic officers and men from attacks
upon the enemy which they were eager to make,
until they were almost convinced that he was
either a traitor or a coward.
" He was doubtless too old for the command
which had been given him. He had done good
service in the Revolutionary War, and no doubt
was really a patriot still, but he lacked energy,
vigilance, and decision, and was too slow to
take advantage of the necessities and mistakes
of the foe; though he might have done much
better but for the remissness of the Secretary
of War and General Dearborn. His mistakes
and dilatoriness bore very hard upon the brave
fellows under him, who were burning with
patriotic zeal for the discomfiture of the foe,
and he perceived that, though they obeyed
70 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
orders, there was a mutinous spirit among them
that could scarcely be restrained. Therefore
he called a council of field-officers, and by their
advice it was agreed to march immediately
upon Maiden.
" Orders were at once issued for all the need-
ful preparations and received with universal
joy by the little army of men longing to defend
their country.
"But before these were completed, or the
long summer day was quite over, there came
another order from the commanding general;
an order for the army to recross the river to
Detroit abandoning Canada and its people to
the vengeance of the British; leaving unpro-
tected its inhabitants, who, trusting Hull's
promised protection, had refused to take up
arms for defence against the Americans. That
order was in consequence of news which had
reached Hull that a considerable force of British
regulars, militia, and Indians were coming to
attack the little army in the rear."
"Did our soldiers like to go back without
fighting the British first, papa?" asked Elsie.
"No, my child, not at all; but they were
obedient soldiers, and did as they were ordered
by their commander, though sullenly, feeling
themselves humiliated by being compelled to
act like cowards. During that night and the
ON INLAND WATERS. 71
next morning they crossed the deep, dark river
and encamped on the rolling plain back of Fort
Detroit.
"Not quite all of them, however. Major
Denny, with 130 convalescents, and a corps
of artillerists, under Lieutenant Anderson, were
left behind in a strong house that had been
stockaded and called Fort Gowris. Denny was
ordered to defend the post to the last extremity,
so long as attacked with only musketry, but to
leave it if powerful artillery should be brought
against it.
"Hull and his army were in need of supplies,
which he knew were being sent him under the
command of Captain Brush, who had come as
far as the River Raisin, but was detained there
by the knowledge that a party of Indians under
Tecumseh, with perhaps some British regulars,
had crossed the Detroit from Maiden and were
lying near the mouth of the Huron River,
twenty-five miles below Detroit, for the pur-
pose of seizing the men, cattle, provisions, and
mail that Captain Brush had in charge.
"Brush had asked Hull to send him an escort.
Hull at first flatly refused ; but, after much per-
suasion on the part of his officers, despatched
Major Van Horn with a detachment of two
hundred men to join Brush and help convoy the
cattle, provisions, and mail. The major obeyed
72 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
promptly, but was not successful; being sur-
prised by the Indians, "who lay in ambush and
attacked him by the way. The Americans
fought gallantly, but lost seventeen killed and
several wounded.
" When the news reached the fort Hull was
greatly disconcerted. His officers urged him
to send a larger force to the aid of Brush as
many as five hundred; but he refused. *I can
spare only one hundred,' he said.
"That, as the officers knew, would not be
enough ; so, though indignant and alarmed for
the safety of Brush and the needed stores he
was bringing, they had to give up the hope of
helping him for the present.
"But Hull perceived that his troops were
angry and felt mutinous, and it was then he
called his officers together, and after consulting
them gave the orders for preparations to march
upon Maiden ; but, as we have seen, before they
could be carried out he changed his mind and
ordered the army to cross the river to Detroit.
He now felt the need of securing the supplies
under Brush and ordered Colonel Miller to take
six hundred men, go to that officer's assistance,
and escort him to Detroit. Before starting
npon their perilous expedition the troops
paraded on the north side of Jefferson Avenue,
and there Colonel Miller addressed them as
ON INLAND WATERS.
they stood in marching order. 'Soldiers,' he
said, 'we are going to meet the enemy, and to
beat them. The reverse of the 5th (that was
Van Horn's) must be repaired. The blood of
our brethren, spilled by the savages, must be
avenged. I will lead you. You shall not dis-
grace yourselves or me. Every man who shall
leave the ranks or fall back without orders will
be instantly put to death. I charge the officers
to execute this order.'
" Then turning to the veteran Fourth Regi-
ment of regulars, he said, 'My brave soldiers,
you will add another victory to that of Tippe-
canoe another laurel to that gained upon the
Wabash last fall. If there is now any man
in the ranks of the detachment who fears to
meet the enemy, let him fall out and stay
behind.'
"He paused, and a loud huzza went up from
the entire corps, and 'I'll not stay! I'll not
stay!' came from every lip.
" Miller led them to the River Rouge that
night, and they bivouacked on its southern
shore, having crossed it in two scows. Early
the next morning they took up their march
again, Major Thompson Maxwell, with his
spies, leading the way; next a vanguard of
forty men under Captain Snelling of the Fourth
Regulars, while the infantry marched in two
74 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
columns, about two hundred yards apart, the
cavalry keeping the road in the centre in double
file. The artillery followed, with flank guards
of riflemen at suitable distances. Marching in
that order a line of battle could be formed
almost instantly, but it was slow and toilsome
work to move the cannon over the marshy
ground along which their road lay.
" It was Sunday morning, the weather sultry,
the sky overcast with clouds, not a leaf stirring
on the trees; in the distance they could see a
few fleet Indians hurrying along; but nothing
of much consequence occurred until some time
in the afternoon, when they were nearing the
Indian village of Maguaga, fourteen miles
below Detroit. But there a man named White,
who had joined them as a new recruit, hurry-
ing on ahead of the rest, was shot from his
horse near the cabin of an Indian chief called
Walk-in-the-Water, by some Indians concealed
behind it, and before the vanguard could reach
the spot he was scalped.
" There were oak woods near Maguaga, which
Captain Snelling and his regulars reached
between three and four o'clock in the after-
noon. In the meantime the flying savages the
Americans had seen that morning, and who
were the scouts of Major Muir, the commander
of the Forty-first British regiment, had carried
ON INLAND WATERS. 75
to him, in his camp at Brownstown, the news
that the Americans, strong in numbers, were
advancing upon them. There were in that
camp 100 regulars, a good many Canadian
militiamen, and between 200 and 300 Indians.
Lossing mentions 4 chiefs of note among those
Tecumseh,Walk-in-the-Water, Split-log, and
Lame-Hand.
u These troops had been sent over from Fort
Maiden by Proctor to repeat their doings of
the j5th when Van Horn was defeated cut
off communication between Detroit and Cap-
tain Brush at the Raisin, and get possession of
the stores he was bringing.
"As soon as Muir and Tecumseh heard the
news brought by the spies they broke up their
camp, hurried on to Maguaga, and formed an
ambush in the Oak Woods, where the trees
and bushes were thick enough to conceal
them. There they watched for the coming
of the Americans and were joined by a
fresh detachment of troops sent by General
Brock.
" Snelling and his soldiers had just entered
the clearing when there came first a single shot,
then the terrific yells of the scores of savages,
followed by a terrible volley from the whole
British line."
"Oh, papa! then did our soldiers turn
76 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
round and run back to the others?" asked
little Elsie.
" No, my child, they stood their ground and
returned the fire like the brave men and patriots
they were. Colonel Miller heard the sounds
and he and his men started on the double quick,
came up, and formed in battle order, and as they
did so he waved his sword high over his head,
crying in his clear, loud voice, 'Charge, boys!
charge!' His order was instantly, gallantly,
and effectually obeyed, Lossing tells us, while
at the same time a six-pounder poured in a
storm of grapeshot that harmed the foe not a
little.
"At the same time the Michigan and Ohio
volunteers charged a body of Indians at the left
of the British and near the river, driving them
back, and causing them to flee ; and the whites
in the ranks of the enemy, mistaking them for
helpers of the Americans, fired upon them also,
and the Indians returned it. So that our foes
were helping us by fighting among themselves,
and the mistake created such confusion in the
British ranks that they wavered, broke, and
fled, leaving Tecumseh and his Indians to bear
the brunt of the fight.
"Muir rallied his men, in a good position,
but the sound of firing in the woods on their
left alarmed them again, so that they ran
ON INLAND WATERS. 77
away, got in their boats, and fled across the
river to Maiden with all possible expedition.
"After a little more fighting the Indians too
broke, and Miller ordered Sloan to pursue them.
But he seemed to hesitate, and Snelling rush-
ing up to him gave him a peremptory order to
dismount, sprang into the saddle himself, and
dashed away at the head of his troops, his red
hair streaming in the wind, for he had lost his
hat in the course of the fight. He pursued the
flying foe for more than two miles ; then Lieu-
tenant-colonel Miller, realizing the danger of
an ambuscade, and that night was approaching,
and the wounded needed attention, ordered a
suspension of the chase."
" Ah, that was a victory!" exclaimed Walter;
"one that ought to have encouraged Hull
to defend Detroit; it seems it didn't, though."
"Were there many killed in that battle,
papa?" asked Grace.
"Of the Americans 18 were killed and 57
wounded," replied the captain. "The British,
according to their account, lost 24 of their
regulars, only 1 of whom was killed. They
failed to mention how many of the militia and
Indians, but our troops found 40 of the Indians
dead on the field ; how many of the militia, if
any, I do not know.
" Miller was anxious to follow up his advan-
78 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
tage, to press on to the assistance of Captain
Brush and the getting of his stores to Detroit;
so sent a messenger to Hull to carry the news
of his successful fight with the enemy and ask
for a supply of provisions.
"In response Hull sent Colonel M' Arthur
with 100 men and 600 rations, ordering him to
go down the river in boats to the relief of
Miller and his men. M c Arthur, who seems to
have been always ready and prompt, set out a
little past two in the morning, in nine boats,
and in the darkness and rain passed the Brit-
ish vessels Queen Charlotte and Hunter, and
reached his destination in safety.
"Then the wounded were at once carried to
the boats to be taken to Detroit. But it was
now daylight, and it was found impossible to
pass the British vessels. Fortunately M' Arthur
had foreseen that difficulty , and ordered wagons
sent down, and now leaving the boats he had
the wounded carried through the woods to the
road, placed in the wagons, and so taken the
rest of the way to their destination."
"But what did he do with the boats, papa?"
asked Elsie.
"The British took them," replied her father.
"Colonel Cass had gone down and tried to
secure them, but the enemy had already got
possession.
ON INLAND WATERS.
"Miller had been thrown from his horse dur-
ing the fight, and was too much injured to press
on immediately to the River Raisin. He sent
a messenger to Hull, and Cass met him on his
way. He knew that time was precious, that
Proctor would be likely to send a larger force
to prevent our men from reaching Brush, and
attack him himself. Therefore Cass wanted
to take Miller's place and hurry on with the
detachment to Brush's assistance, so he sent a
laconic despatch to General Hull: 'Sir, Colonel
Miller is sick; may I relieve him? L. CASS.'
No reply came, and he returned to Detroit,
meeting on the way an express taking positive
orders to Miller for him and his troops to return
to headquarters.
" Miller and his men were only twenty-two
miles from the Raisin, and were sorely disap-
pointed by this order, but obeyed it, leaving
their camp at noon on the day after the battle,
and going slowly back to Detroit."
Oh, I do think that was too bad!" ex-
claimed Lucilla. " I don't think I could have
obeyed such a man as Hull."
"It would have been even worse than render-
ing obedience to Captain Raymond has some-
times proved, eh?" her father said, with a
humorous look and smile.
"Oh, ten thousand times, papa, dear!" she
80 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
answered earnestly. "Haven't you found out
that for years it has been almost always just
a pleasure to me to obey you?"
" It is long since I have felt at all doubtful of
that, daughter," he returned, in tender tones.
CHAPTER VI.
FOB a moment Captain Raymond seemed
lost in thought. It was a question from his
daughter Elsie that caused him to resume the
thread of his narrative.
"Papa," she asked, "had the British got
their guns all ready to fire at the Americans
when Colonel Miller and his men got back to
Detroit? and did they begin at once?"
"No; the British were still busy with their
preparations, with which General Hull did not
seem disposed to interfere; and it was hard in-
deed for his brave, patriotic officers to obey his
orders to refrain from doing so. They began
to think he was either a traitor or an imbecile,
and by no means fit to have the command.
They consulted together, and concluded that
salvation for the little army could be secured
only by depriving him of the command and
giving it to another. Miller was asked to take
it, but declined and proposed M* Arthur, who
was the senior officer of the volunteers and one
of the most vigilant, active, and energetic men
in the service.
"But when it came to carrying out their
81
82 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
plans they hesitated to take so bold a step.
Relief might come soon from Ohio, Governor
Meigs accompany it in person, and then the
honor could be properly tendered him. Colonel
Cass acted promptly upon that suggestion,
writing to the governor a very strong and
urgent appeal for help to be forwarded with all
haste ; telling him that the army was in a very
critical situation 'from causes not fit to be put
on paper' ; that Maiden might easily have been
reduced, but the golden opportunity had been
allowed to pass unimproved. He asked for, at
least, two thousand men, and that the governor
would accompany them.
"But before this letter had been shown to
the other officers the British were collecting in
force at Sandwich, and Cass added a postcript.
* Since the other side of this letter was written,
new circumstances have arisen. The British
force is opposite, and our situation had nearly
reached its crisis. Believe all the bearer will
tell you. Believe it, however it may astonish
you, as much as if told by one of us. Even a
c is talked of by e . The bearer will
supply the vacancy. On you we depend. ' The
first blank meant a capitulation, the second
commanding general."
"But why didn't he say what he meant,
papa?" asked Elsie.
ON INLAND WATERS. 83
* Because there was danger of the letter fall-
ing into the hands of the wrong person. It
was signed by Cass, Finley, M' Arthur, Taylor,
and Colonel Elijah Brush, of the Michigan
militia."
"Was Major Denny still on the Canadian
side, captain?" asked Evelyn.
"No; he had evacuated Fort Gowris and
crossed the river to Detroit. On his doing so
the British under Captain Dixon of the Royal
Engineers immediately took possession and
planted a battery so as to command Detroit.
The American artillery begged leave from
Hull to open upon them from the fort with
twenty-four pounders, but were forbidden, and
the enemy was allowed to go on unmolested
with his preparations to fire upon Detroit."
"Well!" exclaimed Lucilla, "I'm sure that
looked as if he was in league with his country's
foes; unless he had lost his reason."
"Yes," said her father, "yet I do not doubt
his patriotism or his intention to do what he
deemed best under the circumstances; but he
was timid, and as I have said before, did not
receive the help and encouragement he had a
right to expect from the Secretary of War or
General Dearborn, who failed to inform him of
the armistice, which would have enabled him to
wait for the arrival of needed provisions and
84 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
reinforcements. And he was too honest himself
to suspect the deceptions the British practised
upon him dressing raw militiamen in uniform
and mixing them in with their regulars, send-
ing a letter to be intercepted by him, threaten-
ing a descent of five thousand Indians from
Mackinaw. But I think he owed it to the
officers under him to consult with them ; which
he did not do."
"Had the British got Captain Brush with
the soldiers and provisions, papa?" asked Elsie.
"No, he was still in the same place, waiting
for reinforcements to enable him to reach
Detroit; and on the 14th Hull sent him word
that he could not spare a large enough detach-
ment to escort him, and that he might either
stay where he was till further orders, or take a
roundabout course to avoid the enemy. But
after the men had gone with the letter Hull
again changed his mind and sent M'Arthur
and Cass with 350 men to escort Brush, who was
supposed to be not more than 12 miles away.
"They took a circuitous route, got entangled
in a swamp, and could not go on. They were
without provisions, tired and hungry, and were
just preparing to bivouac for the night for
the evening twilight was fading away when
a courier came with an order from Hull for
them to return immediately to Detroit. They
ON INLAND WATERS. 85
obeyed and arrived there about ten o'clock the
next morning.
"At a little past noon of that day General
Brock sent two of his officers with a flag to
bear a summons to General Hull for the uncon-
ditional surrender of the post. 'The force at
my disposal,' he said, 'authorizes me to require
of you the surrender of Detroit. It is far from
my inclination to join in a war of extermina-
tion, but you must be aware that the numerous
body of Indians who have attached themselves
to my troops will be beyond my control the
moment the contest commences.'
" And Hull meekly surrendered without any
more ado?" said Lucilla, in a tone between
assertion and enquiry.
"No, not yet," replied her father. "Poor
man! really patriotic and proud, he no doubt
felt sorely tried and humiliated at the very
thought of surrender to his country's foes; at
the same time, being ignorant of the armistice
and not knowing when succor would arrive,
having only a thousand men in fighting condi-
tion, his force wasting with disease, disappoint-
ment, and death, it seemed to him very uncer-
tain whether he could keep the foe at bay till
help would come; but his troops were eager to
measure strength with the enemy, and confident
in their ability to do so successfully.
86 ELSIE'S JOVENE7
"So difficult did Hull find it to decide what
was the best and wisest course of conduct that
he kept the flag waiting two hours; but at last
he said to Brock's messengers that he had no
other reply to make than that he was ready to
meet any force at his disposal, and any conse-
quence that might result.
"His own troops were greatly pleased when
they learned what his answer to Brock had
been. They watched the return of the flag, and
when it reached the Canadian shore the bearers
were startled by a loud huzza from the Ameri-
can fort and camp. Our brave soldiers believed
and rejoiced in the thought that the time for
action had come, or was near at hand; they
were confident of victory, and at once set
about the most active preparations for the
fight.
" Jesup, serving as adjutant-general to Hull,
rode down to Spring Wells to reconnoitre the
enemy at Sandwich. He saw that the British
vessel, Queen Charlotte, had taken such a
position that she could cover the landing of the
enemy there with her guns. He thought a
battery might be used to drive her away, so
selecting a suitable spot for it, he hastened
back to Detroit, told Hull what he proposed to
do, and asked him to send down a twenty-
pounder.
ON INLAND WATERS. 87
"Hull refused and Jesup rode back to the
spot he wished to defend, to find Snelling there
with a few men and a six-pounder, occupying
the very place he had selected. By the way, it
is said that Snelling was to have been married
that evening to a daughter of Colonel Thomas
Hunt, and that when about to leave the fort for
Spring Wells, he asked of Hull, 'If I drive the
redcoats back, may I return and be married?"
and that General Hull consented, and the mar-
riage took place that same evening.
"When Detroit was surrendered Snelling
refused to raise the white flag, and when
marched as a prisoner through the streets of
Montreal, being ordered by a British officer
to take off his cap to Nelson's monument, he
refused and kept it on in spite of the efforts of
the soldiers to enforce the order, and finally
General Brock ordered them to respect the
scruples of a brave man."
"I respect and like Brock for that," said
Walter. "He was a far better, braver, nobler
man than Proctor."
"He was indeed!" assented the captain.
"Cruelty and cowardice usually go hand in
hand, and they were both prominent traits in
Proctor's character. But to return. Both
Snelling and Jesup, perceiving that the greater
part of the British force was at Sandwich,
88 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
hastened back to Hull, and, reporting that fact
to him, Jesup asked for 150 men to go over and
spike the enemy's guns opposite Detroit. Hull
said he could not spare so many. 'Give me one
hundred, then,' entreated Jesup. 'Only one
hundred,' added Snelling imploringly. Hull
only replied that he would consider it, and
then took refuge in the fort; for at four o'clock
the British battery, whose guns Snelling and
Jesup had proposed to spike, began firing
shot and shell upon the fort, the town, and
the camp. Then all the troops except Finley's
regiment, which was stationed three hundred
yards northwest of the fort, were ordered
within the walls, crowding it far too much
for comfort."
The captain paused, and Grandma Elsie re-
marked that she remembered reading of some
interesting occurrences given by Lossing in
notes to his history of the attack upon Detroit
and its fort.
"One was that during the evening a large
shell fell upon the roof of a private dwelling,
two stories high, and coming down through the
roof and upper floor, fell upon the table around
which the family were sitting, then through to
the cellar, and they had just time to fly from
the house when the shell exploded, tearing it to
pieces."
ON INLAND WATERS. 89
"That was a very narrow escape for them,"
remarked Violet.
" Please tell us some more, grandma," begged
Neddie, and Grandma Elsie kindly continued.
" There was a battery commanded by a brave
soldier Lieutenant Daliba," she said. "He
stood on the ramparts during the cannonade,
and when he saw the smoke or flash of the
enemy's cannon he would call out to his men,
'Down !' and they would drop behind the para-
pet until the ball had struck.
" Near the battery was a large pear-tree which
was somewhat in the way, and Colonel Mack,
of the Michigan militia, ordered a young vol-
unteer named John Miller to cut it down. He
made haste to obey, seizing an axe and falling
vigorously to work; but when he had cut about
halfway through the trunk one of the enemy's
balls struck it and nearly finished the work.
The young man turned coolly toward the
British and called out, 'Send us another, John
Bull; ypu can cut faster than I can.'
" Was the British soldier that fired it named
John Bull?" queried Neddie.
"Why, that's what we call Englishmen,
don't you know?" said his sister Elsie. "And
we are all Brother Jonathans. Aren't we,
papa?"
"That's what they call us," returned her
90 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
father, with a smile, " and though not a very eu-
phonious name, I, for one, prefer it to John Bull."
"So do I," she said.
"But Jonathan's a boy's name," objected
Ned sturdily. "Men and boys can be Jona-
thans, but women and girls can't."
"Well, I don't want to be, 5> said Elsie. "It
isn't a pretty name; but John Bull's worse.
Grandma, haven't you another little story to
tell us?"
"One more, which I found in Lossing's
book," replied Grandma Elsie pleasantly. " He
says it is related that while cannonading was
going on, the shot striking thick and fast
around the fort, a negro was seen on its roof.
He stood near a chimney, watching the firing of
the British on the other side of the river, and
whenever he saw the smoke of a cannon would
spring behind the chimney till the shot had
struck, then peep out again.
" At length one struck the top of the chimney
just over his head, tore it to pieces, and cov-
ered him with brick and mortar. He jumped
aside, shaking himself free, as well as he might,
from the dust and rubbish, and exclaiming:
'What de debble you doin' up dar?' then has-
tened away to find a safer spot."
"Wasn't that a bad, swearing word, grand-
ma?" queried Ned.
INLAND WATERS. 91
"It was not a nice word," she answered. "I
should be sorry indeed to hear it used by my
sons or grandsons."
"My papa never says such words, nor Maxie,
nor any of my relations, and I don't mean ever,
ever to say them," said the little fellow, looking
up into his father's face.
"No, my son, I trust you never shall," re-
turned the captain gravely, laying a hand affec-
tionately on the child's head.
"Please tell the rest, papa," pleaded little
Elsie, and her father resumed the thread of his
narrative.
"The British kept up their bombardment
until near midnight, our men returning it with
great spirit and disabling two of the enemy's
guns. About twilight someone proposed that
as the fort did not command the river, a strong
battery should be placed near the margin of the
river and used in destroying the foe when they
attempted to land. A suitable place for the
purpose was chosen, but Hull utterly refused to
allow the plan to be carried out; and in the
early twilight of the next morning a beautiful
Sunday morning they were allowed to cross
without the least attempt being made to hinder
them.
"Six hundred Indians, commanded by two
British colonels and Tecumseh, had crossed the
92 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
night before and taken position in the woods
to attack the Americans in flank and rear should
they attempt to hinder the landing of the Brit-
ish regulars and militia, 770 strong with 5
pieces of light artillery.
"They all breakfasted, then moved upon the
fort the whites in a single column, their left
flank covered by the Indians, a mile and a half
distant in the woods; their right resting on
the Detroit River, defended by the Queen
Charlotte.
"Colonel Miller, with the Fourth Regiment,
was now in the fort; the Ohio volunteers with
part of the Michigan militia were posted be-
hind the town palisades, to annoy the enemy's
whole left flank. The rest of the militia were
stationed in the upper part of the town to keep
back the Indians, who had joined the British in
order to be permitted to plunder and kill the
American whites.
" Our men were waiting, watching the cau-
tiously approaching foe, eager to fire upon them
"the moment they were in the best position to
receive the most destructive onslaught for
wives, children, and feeble aged ones were in
danger of becoming victims to their inhuman
thirst for blood and plunder, and that foe had
reached a point within five hundred yards of
their line when there came a peremptory com-
ON INLAND WATERS. 93
mand from General Hull for them to retreat
within the fort.
"The soldiers were very angry but obeyed,
while the enemy drew nearer and prepared to
storm the fort. The shot were coming thick
and fast now from the Canadian shore. A ball
came bounding over the wall of the fort and
struck a group standing before one of the offi-
cer's quarters, killing two officers and a sur-
geon and badly wounding another. The next
moment two other soldiers on the inside of the
fort and two on the outside were killed.
"There were women and children in the
house where the officers were killed, among
them General Hull's daughter and her children.
Some of the women were bespattered with the
blood of the slain, and almost paralyzed with
fear; some were carried senseless to the bomb-
proof vault for safety.
" The general saw the effect of the ball from
a distance, and did not know whether his own
child was killed or not.
"Just then an officer of the Michigan militia
in the town came to ask if they alone were to
defend it, as he had seen the approach of the
enemy without a gun being fired from the fort
or the twenty-four pounders outside; also to
inform Hull that the Indians were at the tan-
yard, close upon the town. Hull did not
04 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
answer his queries, but stepped into a room in
the barracks, hastily wrote a note, and handing
it to his son, Captain Hull, directed him to dis-
play a white flag immediately from the walls
of the fort, where it might be seen by the Brit-
ish Captain Dixon, over the river.
" The order was promptly obeyed. The flag
was a tablecloth. By order of General Hull it
was waved from one of the bastions by Captain
Burton, of the Fourth Regiment.
" The firing soon ceased, and in a few minutes
Captain Hull was seen leaving the fort with a
flag of truce. At the same time a boat was
despatched across the river to Captain Dixon,
commander of the battery on the Canada shore.
" General Hull was acting without consulta-
tion with any of his officers, and no one knew
what were his intentions, but the sight of the
white flag upon the walls awakened painful
suspicions, and presently the arrival of two
British officers, Colonel M'Donell and Major
Glegg, made it evident that the garrison was
betrayed.
" Hull had acted entirely on his own respon-
sibility, consulting no one, and this quick sur-
render, without a single shot having been fired
upon the enemy, or an effort made to stay his
course, was almost as unexpected and unwel-
come to the brave, patriotic men under him as
ON INLAND WATERS. 95
a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. So angry
and indignant were they that for a moment
nothing but reverence for gray hairs and venera-
tion for a soldier of the Revolution, who had
served his country well in that war, saved hint
from personal violence at their hands; it is said
that many of them shed tears of mortification
and disappointment.
"The terms of capitulation were soon settled,
and Hull issued a general order to his troops,
stating that with pain and anxiety he announced
to the Northwest Army that a sense of duty
had compelled him to agree to articles of
capitulation which he then enumerated.
" You will remember that he had sent Colonels
M' Arthur and Cass toward the River Raisin,
then ordered them back; they were coming,
but had not yet arrived; he sent a messenger to
meet them, with a note to M< Arthur informing
him of the surrender, and that he and his com-
mand were included in it, as prisoners of war.
They had drawn near enough to Detroit to see
the white flags that had silenced the British
cannon, reaching there thoroughly exhausted
with marching and hunger for Hull had sent
them off without provisions and failed to keep
his promise to send some after them; so that
for forty-eight hours they had nothing to eat
but some green pumpkins and potatoes they
96 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
had found in the fields. As they went and
came they had been observing the enemy, tak-
ing note of his numbers and movements, and
concluded that they might easily capture him
by falling upon his rear while the army at
Detroit attacked him in front. But what did
the silence mean? The armies were within
half cannon shot of each other, but there was
no firing; both seemed silent as the grave, from
where these listeners stood. Had there been
any evidence of fighting, M'Arthur would have
fallen upon the rear of the foe, without waiting
for orders.
"But Hull's courier was seen approaching,
and in a few moments more these patriots heard
the almost unbearable tidings that Hull had
given them up to the foe without an effort at
self-defence.
" M'Arthur tried to communicate with Hull,
but failed. He sent Hull's note to Captain
Brush, with a message from himself, 'By the
within letter you will see that the army under
General Hull has been surrendered. By the
articles you will see that provision has been
made- for your command; you will, therefore,
I hope, return to Ohio with us.'
"Lossing tells us in a note that Captain
Elliott, the son of Colonel Elliott, with a French-
man and Wyandot Indian, arrived at Brush's
ON INLAND WATERS. 97
camp on the Raisin, bearing a flag of truce,
a copy of the capitulation at Detroit, and
authority to receive the surrender of Brush and
his men.
"A lieutenant, the officer of the day, blind-
folded Elliott and led him to the block-house.
Brush, when informed of Elliott's arrival and on
what errand, doubting his authority, had him
arrested and placed in confinement. On read-
ing M' Arthur's letter, however, he learned his
mistake; but instead of releasing Elliott at once
and complying with Hull's order, he hastily
packed up the public property at the Raisin,
and with his whole command and his cattle,
started for Ohio, leaving orders that Elliott
should be kept in confinement until the next
day. Elliott was very angry, and sent for
Tecumseh to pursue Brush; but it was too
late."
"Did M' Arthur do that way too, papa?"
asked little Elsie.
"No; when on the evening of the 17th
Colonel Elliott came with authority from Brock
to receive tokens of the submission of M ; Ar-
thur's detachment, the dark eyes of that officer
flashed with indignation, then filled with tears
of mortification; he thrust his sword into the
ground and broke it to pieces, then tore his
epaulets from his shoulders. But having in
98 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
that way relieved his feelings, he became calm
and dignified, while in the dim twilight, Cass
and their whole detachment were marched
into the fort and stacked their arms."
"Oh, how hard it must have been for
M' Arthur, and all of them, indeed !" exclaimed
Lucilla.
"Were they shut up in jail, papa?" asked
Elsie.
" The volunteers and militia with some of the
regular officers, not of high rank, were paroled
and allowed to go home," replied her father.
" Those belonging to Michigan were discharged
right there, the Ohioans sent in a vessel to
Cleveland, and there relieved from British con-
trol. General Hull and the regulars were held
as prisoners of war and sent to Montreal."
"But that wasn't the worst for poor General
Hull, was it, papa?" said Grace. "The blame
he got from the whole country, and being tried
for cowardice, condemned to be shot, and all the
rest of it, I should think, must have been far
worse. Do you think he was really a coward
and so very much to blame, papa?"
"No," replied her father; "he was perhaps
weak, but neither wicked nor cowardly; he
was very cautious, prudent, and anxious to
tave the women, children, and aged men in the
fort from falling into the hands of the blood*
ON INLAND WATERS. 99
thirsty, tomahawking, scalping savages. Had
he known of the armistice and that provisions
and ammunition were coming, and had Dear-
born and the Secretary of War done their duty,
the result might have been very different. As
it was, he was made the scapegoat for all."
"Poor man! I feel sorry for him," sighed
Grace.
"As I do," said her father. "I have no
doubt he did what he believed to be his duty
as a humane and Christian man. In parting at
Detroit with one of his aids he said to him,
'God bless you, my young friend ! You return
to your family without a stain ; as for myself,
I have sacrificed a reputation dearer to me than
life, but I have saved the inhabitants of Detroit,
and my heart approves the act.' In his de-
spatch to the Secretary of War he generously
said, *I well know the responsibility of the
measure, and take the whole of it on myself.'
And after alluding to M'Arthur, Finley, Miller,
and Cass in commendatory terms, he adds, 'if,
aught has taken place during the campaign
which is honorable to the army, these officers
are entitled to a large share of it. If the last
act should be disapproved, no part of the cen-
eure belongs to them. ' "
"That was noble and generous!" exclaimed
Evelyn, with warmth, "and it was shameful,
968612A
100 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
shameful that all the blame was put upon him
when Dearborn and the Government were really
so very much more deserving of it."
"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, in her own sweet,
gentle tones, "and he bore it in such a patient,
Christian spirit; confident that his countrymen
would some day understand and do him justice.
I have read that on his deathbed he was asked
whether he still believed he had done right in
surrendering Detroit, and he answered that he
did and was thankful he had been enabled to
do it."
"I suppose," said Evelyn, "it was a great
mistake, but he acted as he deemed best for
others and that at a great sacrifice of himself;
so I think he was a noble, generous man,
worthy of all honor, and I am very glad he was
not made to suffer death, though I am not sure
that what he had to bear was not worse."
"Yes," exclaimed Walter, "and how I de-
spise those mean fellows who put all the blame
on him when they themselves deserved a great
deal more of it than he !"
"How long did the British keep possession
of Detroit, papa?" asked Grace.
"Until Perry's victory on Lake Erie restored
it to the Americans."
"Oh, that was a grand victory!" exclaimed
Lucilla, with enthusiasm.
ON INLAND WATERS. 101
"Yes; the navy did well in that war," the
captain said, with a smile and a sparkle in hia
eye. " I have always felt a patriotic pride in
the achievements of Perry, McDonough, and
Isaac Hull. The first two were earnest Chris-
tian men and gave all the glory to God. I do
not know, but hope the gallant Hull was a
Christian also."
CHAPTER VII.
THE Dolphin reached Detroit that evening,
did not stop, but slowly passed the city, which
extends six or seven miles along the river, then
on down the stream, the captain pointing out
historical scenes, now on this side now on that.
They were already on Lake Erie before the
older ones retired for the night, passed Put-In-
Bay and discussed with interest Perry's victory
of September 10, 1813, though, as all were
familiar with the details of the famous contest
and triumph for the little American navy, the
story was not repeated.
"How many islands are there in the group,
papa?" Grace asked, as they neared them; "and
to which State do they belong?"
"There are ten," he said, "and they are a
part of Ottawa township, Ohio. The group
takes its name from the largest one, which con-
tains about two thousand acres. You can see
there is a beautiful bay on this north side: that
is Put-In-Bay it is what gives the name to the
island and is celebrated as the place where Cap-
tain Perry with his little United States fleet
102
ON INLAND WATERS. 103
on Lake Erie, in the last war with Great
Britain, of which we have been talking so much
in the last few days, waited for the coming of
her fleet, and whence he sailed out to meet and
conquer it.
" It required great address and vigilance to
make his little squadron ready and get it into the
lake, but spite of illness, head winds, and being
narrowly watched by the foe, he got safely out
upon the lake just as the British squadron hovt
in sight."
"Perry had difficulty in getting his vessels
over the bar, had he not, sir?" asked Walter.
"Yes; it was done by the use of camels; a
very difficult operation."
"Camels, papa?" exclaimed Grace, with a
puzzled look.
"Yes, daughter; not the camels of the desert,
however," returned the captain, giving her a
slightly amused smile.
"Nautical camels are hollow cases of wood,
made in two halves, so as to embrace the keel
'and lay hold of the hull of a ship on both sides.
( Those cases are first filled with water and sunk,
in order to be fixed on. The water is then
pumped out, and while that is being done the
vessel gradually rises; and that process is
Continued till at length it passes over the
Bhoal."
104 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Perry must certainly have been a very per-
severing and energetic man," remarked Mrs.
Travilla.
"He certainly was all that and more," re-
turned the captain ; " a brave, patriotic, Chris-
tian man. It has been truly said that the cour-
age with which the Lawrence was defended
has been hardly, if ever, surpassed; and that
his real claim to fame rests less on his actual
victory than on the pluck, energy, and readiness
to adapt himself to circumstances, which he
showed in the preparation of the two brigs and
getting them and the other vessels out in the
lake, collecting sailors, etc. But it is singular
that the American public have always made so
much more of his victory over an inferior f orce,
than of McDonough's on Lake Champlain,
which was won against decided odds in vessels,
men, and metal."
"Oh, papa!" cried Lucilla, in a slightly
reproachful tone, "you are really the last per-
son I should have expected to try to belittle
Perry's hard-won victory."
"My child, I am not doing that," returned
her father in gentle, reproving accents. "I
would not have Perry's fame lessened, but
McDonough's increased."
"Excuse me, papa dear, I might have known
that," she responded penitently.
ON INLAND WATERS. 105
" What is the name of that little island lying
at the mouth of the bay, captain?" queried
Evelyn.
"Gibraltar," he replied; "it is picturesque
and rocky, and on it stands the monument
commemorating the victory and its heroes."
" I should like to visit the island one of these
days," said Grace.
"I hope to give you that pleasure at some
future time," her father said; "but now it is
growing so late in the season that we must
hasten on our way if we would make even a
flying visit to other and more interesting and
important points. The islands are worth visit-
ing; the scenery is lovely, and there is excel-
lent boating, also fishing, in the clear, shallow
waters of the bay and lake."
"All that sounds quite appetizing," said
Voilet. "I think we might be able to pass
some days or weeks there very delightfully
when not hurried for time."
" There are a great many fine grapes raised
here, are there not?" asked Evelyn.
"Yes; grape growing and wine making are
the principal industries; the climate and soil
being better suited to them than is any other
in the Union; or rather, I should say, on the
Atlantic slope. Another item of interest is a
cave of considerable dimensions."
'106 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Papa," asked Grace, "how long did that
battle of Lake Erie last?"
" Three hours and a quarter. It was a san-
guinary fight, ending in a splendid victory for
Perry, who was about twenty-seven years old f
and had never before borne part in a naval
engagement."
"Yes, it was sanguinary; the carnage was
terrible," said Mr. Dinsmore. "What harrow-
ing scenes there must have been!"
"Some comical ones, too," remarked Walter,
with a chuckle. "I have read somewhere that
Perry's first lieutenant, Yarnall, came to him
during the fight and told him that all the
officers of the first division were either killed
or wounded. I don't know that he mentioned
himself among them, but it was very evident
that he had been hurt, for his face was covered
with blood from a wound in his forehead, his
nose dreadfully swollen by a blow from a
splinter, and there was another wound in his
neck."
" He must have been a brave and persevering
fellow to go on fighting with all those hurts,"
said Grace. "But what was it he wanted of
Perry?"
"More men to help with his part of the
fight; and Perry let him have them. But soon
he came back on the same errand, and that time
ON INLAND WATERS. 107
Perry had to refuse. 'You must make out by
yourself; I have no more to furnish you,' he
said. And now he could not help smiling at
Yarnall's appearance, for in addition to his
swelled nose and the blood on his face he was
covered with cattails from the hammock mat-
tresses that had been struck and torn by the
enemy's balls; they were sticking all over his
face and gave him much the aspect of a great
owl. When he went below after the fight was
over, even the wounded men had to laugh at his
comical and hideous appearance."
"I remember reading of the narrow escape
that fell to the lot of the second lieutenant,"
said Rosie, when Walter had finished his little
anecdote, "he was standing close beside Perry,
fighting his division, when a grape-shot struck
him in the breast, and he fell. Perrv lifted
*<
him up, and as there was no wound to be seen,
told him to rally, for he could not be hurt. He
was only stunned into momentary unconscious-
ness, and when able to speak, said, pulling out
the shot, which had lodged in his waistcoat,
'No, sir! I'm not hurt, but this is my shot.'
"Yes," said Captain Raymond, "more than
one man was shot and killed while speaking to
Perry. One was the captain of the gun whose
tackle had been shot away. Perry stepped
nearer to him to see what was the matter. 'I
108 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
can fire, sir,' the sailor said, and was in the
very act of doing so when a twenty -four-pound
shot struck him, passed through his body, and
he fell dead at Perry's feet."
"But Perry escaped unwounded, though
freely exposing himself to danger when neces-
sary for the performance of duty," remarked
Grandma Elsie. "I have read that he said that
he believed his wife's prayers had saved him;
I have no doubt that his mother's helped him,
for I have read that she was a Christian woman,
and had brought him up in the fear of the Lord.
His young brother too only twelve years old
escaped wonderfully, shots passing through his
clothes and hat, a hammock torn from its
fastenings by a ball knocking him down, and
yet no wound being made."
" Lieutenant John Brooks, a handsome young
fellow, was another officer shot while speaking
to Perry," said Captain Raymond, "struck in
the thigh by a cannon ball that drove him some
distance. It was a terribly painful wound, so
that he shrieked with agony, and besought
Perry to shoot him dead. Perry ordered him
carried below, and while that was being done
a mulatto boy, his servant, rolled on the deck,
crying out that his master was killed. He
had been acting as powder boy, and being
ordered to return to his duty did so with the
ON INLAND WATERS. 109
tears rolling down his cheeks all the time at
the thought of his master's suffering!"
There was a moment of silence, broken by
Grace.
"Oh, what a dreadful thing war is!" she
sighed. "I hope we will never have another.
I think nothing could be worse."
"How about submission to despotism,
Gracie?" asked Walter. "What sort of con-
dition would this country be in now had not
our ancestors waged those two wars with Great
Britain?"
"Oh, yes! they were right on the side of
America, dreadful as they were," she acknowl-
edged, "the choice being between fighting for
freedom or enduring unbearable oppression."
"That is true," he said; "better death than
slavery; and had we tamely submitted, instead
of resisting as we did, we could never have
become the strong, free people that we are."
"And we may well, even yet, thank God for
Perry's victory," said the captain; "it led to
the immediate evacuation of Detroit and the
release of the whole of Michigan Territory from
British sway, with all the horrors of Indian
atrocities, murder, scalping, and fire. Also it
wiped away the disgrace of Hull's ignominious
surrender of Detroit, strengthened the hands
of the Government, and gave great encourage-
110 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
ment to General Harrison and his brave and
patriotic soldiers; indeed, to all who were
fighting for our country on both land and sea.
Harrison had completed his arrangements for
invading Canada, and Perry's vessels were used
in carrying his army there. That is, the
Niagara and the lighter vessels of both
squadrons.
" One of the measures Harrison had taken for
raising the needed complement of troops had
been a call upon Governor Shelby of Kentucky,
for fifteen hundred men, accompanied by the
generous offer to yield the chief command to
him, Shelby to be the guiding head and Harri-
son himself the hand.
" Shelby was one of those who had battled
for his country in the days of the Revolution;
one of the leaders of the militia who defeated
the banded Tories under Major Ferguson on
King's Mountain, South Carolina, on the 7th
of October, 1781. His valor was conspicuous
on that occasion, and he had since been famil-
iarly styled Old King's Mountain."
"A very old man in 1813, I suppose," said
Grace.
"Sixty-three," replied her father. "In these
days we would hardly consider a man of that
age extremely old, though certainly not young.
Young enough, however, for Harrison's invita*
ON INLAND WA TERS. 1 1 1
tion to rouse his martial spirit to such an
extent that he resolved to lead, instead of send-
ing his men against the enemies of his country.
He called for mounted volunteers to assemble
at Newport, opposite Cincinnati, at the close of
July, promising to meet them there in person,
lead them to the field of battle, and share with
them the dangers and honors of the campaign.
" That call seemed to electrify the people of
Kentucky. Young men and veterans vied with
each other in enthusiasm, exchanging urgent
calls to rally to the defence of their country, for
Old King's Mountain would certainly lead
them to victory. Twice the required number
of men flocked to his standard, and, including
Colonel R. M. Johnson's troop, he led 3500
in the direction of Lake Erie.
" On the 12th of September he reached Upper
Sandusky, from there he pushed forward with
his staff, and on the way heard the glad tidings
of Perry's victory. He despatched a courier
with the news to Major-General Henry, whom he
had left in command of his troops, bidding him
hasten forward with them.
"They, and the whole country as well, were
greatly inspirited, filled with joy and exulta-
tion by the glad tidings ; for that victory re-
lieved the whole region of the most gloomy
forebodings of evil, leading, as it did, to the
112 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
destruction of the Indian confederacy, which,
in conjunction with the British military power,
had been the cause of so much awful suffering
and loss to men, women, and children suffering
by fire, sword, tomahawk, and scalping knife,
and removing the stigma of the surrender of
Detroit.
" That victory was one of the most important
events of the war, opening the way for Harri-
son's army to penetrate into Canada and to our
repossession of the territory of Michigan . Also
removing all doubts of the ability of the Ameri-
cans to maintain the mastery of the great lakes.
w A poet of the time concluded an epic with
these lines :
44 * And though Britons may brag of their ruling the
ocean,
And that sort of thing, by the Lord I've a notion
I'll bet all I'm worth, who takes it ? who takes ?
Though they're lords of the sea, we'll be lords of the
lakes.'
"Well, to go on with my story, by the 16th
the whole army of the Northwest, except the
troops garrisoning Fort Meigs and minor posts,
were on the borders of Lake Erie. Shelby
arrived there on the 14th, only a few minutes
before a part of Perry's squadron came in,
bringing three hundred British prisoners. A
few days later they were marched to Chilli*
ON INLAND WATERS. 118
cothe and Franklinton, escorted by a guarft of
Kentucky militia.
"And now Harrison made preparations to
embark his army. Colonel Johnson was
directed to remain at Fort Meigs with his
mounted regiment till the expedition should
sail, then march toward Detroit, keeping as
nearly as possible abreast of the army on the
transports, and General M'Arthur, at that time
in command of Fort Meigs, was directed to
embark artillery, provisions, and stores from
that post, and march the regulars there, with
Clay's Kentuckians, to the Portage.
"It was on a delightful day, the 20th of
September, that the army embarked. On the
24th they rendezvoused on Put-in-Bay Island,
and the next day were on the Middle Sisters,
five thousand men encamping on its six or seven
acres.'
"A good many horses besides, I presume,"
remarked Walter.
"No," said the captain, "the Kentuckians left
their horses on the peninsula and were acting
as infantry.
"On that day General Harrison and Perry
sailed in the Ariel to reconnoitre the enemy at
Maiden. They were entirely successful, and
returned at sunset. An order was issued that
evening, giving directions for the embarking
114 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
of the troop, stating the place and manner of
landing, the order of march, the attack upon
the enemy, and other particulars.
"The order, signed by General E. P. Gaines,
exhorted his brave troops to remember that they
were the sons of sires whose fame was immor-
tal; that they were to fight for the rights of
their insulted country, while their opponents
would combat for the unjust pretensions of a
master. 'Kentuckians,' he said, * remember the
River Raisin, but remember it only while vic-
tory is suspended. The revenge of a soldier
cannot be satisfied upon a fallen enemy.'
" It was on a lovely autumnal day, September
27, that the expedition finally set sail, in six-
teen armed vessels and almost one hundred
boats. They were all in motion at nine o'clock,
going northward toward the hostile shore, and
then Harrison's stirring address was read to the
men on each vessel. At its conclusion there
went up a hearty shout for * Harrison and
victory'; then all moved on silently into the
Detroit River. Lossing tells us the spectacle
was beautiful and sublime.
"The landing place selected by Harrison and
Perry was Hartley's Point, opposite the lower
end of Bois Blanc Island, and three or four
jjiiles below Maiden. A low, sandy beach
stretched out in front of high sand drifts,
ON INLAND WATERS. 115
behind which the enemy were supposed to be
lying in wait, and our troops landed in battle
order Kentucky volunteers on the right,
regulars on the left, Ball's Legion and the
friendly Indians in the centre.
"But no enemy was there. The cowardly
Proctor, in spite of the indignant remonstrances
of Tecumseh, had fled northward with his army
and all he could take with him; leaving Fort
Maiden, the storehouses, and navy buildings
smoking ruins. Beside that, he had seized all
the horses of the people of the neighborhood to
help him in his flight."
"The poor people! poor, abused creatures!"
exclaimed Grace, adding, "and probably they
were much frightened lest the Americans
should treat them still worse."
"If so, their fears were soon relieved,"
replied her father; "for as our troops drew
near the town, Governor Shelby in advance,
they were met by a troop of modest, well-
dressed women, who came to implore mercy
and protection. The kind-hearted general soon
calmed their fears.
"The army moved on and entered Maiden
with the band playing 'Yankee Doodle.' They
learned that the enemy's rear guard had not
been gone an hour, and Colonel Ball at once
sent an officer and twenty men of his cavalry
116 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
after them to prevent the destruction of a
bridge over the Tarontee. They were just in
time to save it, driving the incendiaries off
with a single volley.
" The next morning Harrison crossed it with
all his army, excepting a regiment of riflemen
left at Amherstburg. At two o'clock on the
29th they entered Sandwich, and the American
flotilla reached Detroit, which, you will re-
member, is opposite, on the western side of the
river of the same name. The next day Colonel
Johnson and his mounted regiment arrived
there."
" Were not the British still in possession of
Detroit, papa?" asked Lucilla.
"No; M' Arthur, with seven hundred effec-
tive men, had crossed over shortly before and
retaken the town, driving off a body of Indians
who were hovering about it. Also General
Harrison had, to the great joy of the inhabi-
tants, declared Proctor's proclamation of mar-
tial law null and void, and the civil govern-
ment of Michigan restored.
" On Johnson's arrival he received an order
from Harrison to cross the river at once with
his troops, as he (Harrison) was resolved to
push on after the enemy as rapidly as possible.
There were two roads, either of which might
be taken in the pursuit by land in the rear of
ON INLAND WATERS. 117
the British, or by Lake Erie to Long Point, and
thence across the country. Harrison called
a council of his general officers to consider the
question, and it was decided to take the land
route.
"It was said that Proctor was encamped
near Chatham on the Thames; so that was the
place for which the whole army of the Ameri-
cans, except M'Arthur's brigade, left at
Detroit, and Ball's and Cass', left at Sandwich,
marched on the morning of October 2.
"Two days before that Perry had learned
that some small vessels carrying the artillery
and baggage of the British had gone up Lake
St. Clair toward the Thames. He sent some of
his vessels in pursuit, followed them in the
Ariel, accompanied by the Caledonia, and on
the day that Harrison left Sandwich the whole
of the little squadron appeared off the mouth
of the Thames with the provisions, baggage,
and amumnition wagons of the American
army."
"Had he taken the enemy's vessels?" asked
Evelyn.
"No," replied the captain; "they had too
much the start of his, and escaped up the
Thames. It is said that when the army reached
the mouth of that river an eagle was seen hov-
ering above it ; and that Harrison remarked ta
118 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
those about him that it was a presage of suc-
cess, and Perry, who had landed and was with
the general, added the information that an
eagle was seen hovering over his little squad-
ron on the morning of the 10th of September."
"The day when he fought his naval battle,"
remarked Grace. "Don't you suppose, papa,
this eagle may have been the very same?"
"I think it quite likely, 5 ' was the reply.
"And it reminds me of the young gamecock
that flew upon a gun-slide on the Saratoga,
McDonough's flagship, early in the naval battle
of Plattsburg, clapped his wings and crowed
BO lustily and defiantly," said Walter.
"And me of 'Old Abe,' the eagle present in
BO many battles of the Civil War," said his
sister Rose. "But please go on with your
story of the battle of the Thames."
" To go back to the morning of October 2,
when Harrison and his troops left Sandwich,"
continued the captain. "We are told that
they pushed on rapidly for 20 miles along the
border of the lake, there came upon 7 British
deserters who told the general that Proctor,
with 700 white men and 1200 Indians was en-
camped at Dolsen's farm, about 15 miles from
the mouth of the Thames, on its northern
bank, and 56 miles from Detroit by water.
This news roused the Americans to still greater
ON INLAND WATERS. 119
exertions, and when they halted for a night's
rest they had marched 25 miles from Sandwich,
their starting point.
"The pursuit was renewed the next morning
at dawn, and near the mouth of the Thames
Johnson captured a lieutenant and eleven pri-
vates, who had just begun to destroy a bridge
over a small stream emptying into that river.
That made it evident to the Americans that
Proctor had heard they were in pursuit of him
and they hastened on, hoping to overtake, fight,
and defeat him. That night they encamped on
Drake's farm, four miles below Dolsen's.
"As the troops moved on, Perry's vessels
had passed up the river to cover their move-
ments when they should cross the Thames or its
tributaries; but here there was a change in the
character of the banks; below the river flowed
on between prairies, its channel broad, its cur-
rent sluggish, but here the country became
hilly, the stream narrow and rapid, the banks
high and wooded, affording convenient places
for Indian ambuscades, from whence shots could
be fired down upon the passing vessels below.
So it was thought better not to take them any
higher up the stream than Dolsen's, and Perry
landed and offered his serivces to Harrison aa
Volunteer aid ; so joining the army in the excit-
ing pursuit of the foe.
120 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"The cowardly Proctor much to the disgust
of Tecumseh fled up the Thames 28J- miles
from Dolson's to Chatham, where an impassable
stream called M'Gregor's Creek empties into
that river. On reaching the spot he said to
Tecumseh, 'Here we will defeat Harrison or
lay our bones.'
" Tecumseh was pleased with both the speech
and the spot, and remarked that when he looked
at these streams he would be reminded of the
Tippecanoe and the Wabash.
"Two bridges one at the mouth of the
creek and the other at a mill a mile above, had
been partially destroyed, and at each was a
party of Indians ready to dispute the passage
of the Americans should they attempt to cross
or to make repairs; but Major Wood, with two
six-pounder cannon, and Colonel Johnson with
his horsemen, soon sent them flying after
Proctor."
"Was anybody hurt in either fight, papa?"
asked Grace.
"Yes; 2 men of Johnson's party were killed,
and 6 or 7 wounded. The Indians had a large
number wounded and 13 killed. It was here
that the chief Walk-in-the- Water with 60 war-
riors came to Harrison and offered to join his
army conditionally. But Harrison had no
time to attend to him, so told him if he left
ON INLAND WATERS. 121
Tecumseh, he must keep out of the way of the
American army."
"Did he do it, papa?" asked Elsie.
"Yes, he went back to the Detroit River."
"And did the Americans go on chasing the
British, papa?"
" Yes, and the British retreating, destroying
all they could on the way, firing houses and
vessels containing military and naval stores as
they went, the Americans following, putting
out the fires and saving houses, vessels, stores
as far as possible.
"But they did not catch up to the British
that night; they encamped and Harrison set a
double guard; which was well, for at midnight
Proctor and Tecumseh reconnoitred the camp,
but did not venture to attack it.
"At dawn the Americans were again in
motion, the mounted regiments in front, led by
General Harrison and his staff, the Kentucky
volunteers under General Shelby following.
It was not long before they had captured two
of the enemy's gunboats and several bateaux
with army supplies and ammunition, and some
prisoners.
" It was only nine o'clock when they reached
a place where the river was fordable by horses.
Harrison decided to cross there and each of the
mounted men took an infantryman on his horse
122 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
t
behind him; others crossed in the bateaux, and
by noon the whole American army was on the
north side of the river."
"I should think they must have been tired,*"
said little Elsie. "Didn't they stop to res?
a while, papa?"
"No, indeed," replied her father, stroking
her hair and smiling down into the interested
little face upturned to his, "they were much too
eager to catch and defeat their country's foes.
They hastened on as rapidly as possible, pass-
ing on their way many evidences of the rapidity
of Proctor's retreat.
"It was two o'clock and they were eight
miles from the crossing place when they came
upon smouldering embers that showed where the
enemy's rear guard had been but a short time
before. By that they knew they were not far
behind the foe, and Colonel Johnson dashed
forward to learn their exact whereabouts.
" It was not long before he had captured a
British wagoner who told him that Proctor had
halted only three hundred yards farther on.
Johnson, with Major James Suggett and his
spies, moved cautiously on, and found the
British drawn up in battle order, waiting for
the coming of the Americans.
"He, Johnson, learned enough about their
position to enable General Harrison and a coun-
ON INLAND WATERS. 123
oil of officers, held on horseback, to decide upon
the best order for the attack. The American
army now consisted of a little more than 3000
men 120 regulars of the 27th Regiment, 5
brigades of Kentucky volunteers under Gover-
nor Shelby, and Colonel Johnson's regiment of
mounted infantry.
"The foe had made choice of a good place
to make a stand. On one side was the Thames
River, with high and precipitous bank, on the
other a marsh running almost parallel with the
river. Between the two, about three hundred
yards from the river, was a narrow swamp with
a strip of solid ground between it and the large
marsh. Almost the whole space between the
river and the marsh was covered with forest
trees oaks, beeches, and sugar maples, with
very little undergrowth.
"The British regulars were formed in two lines
between the river and the small swamp ; their
artillery planted in the road near the bank of the
stream. The Indians were posted between the
two swamps, those commanded by Tecumseh
in person on the isthmus or narrowest point.
" At first Harrison arranged for the horsemen
to fall back and let the infantry make the first
attack, which would begin the battle; next the
cavalry were to charge the British. But when
all the preparations were completed Major
124 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
Wood, -who had been reconnoitring the enemy's
position, informed Harrison that the British
were drawn up in open order, and, though con-
trary to all precedent, the general immediately
decided to change his plan of attack. Instead
of having the infantry fall upon the British
front he ordered Johnson to charge their line
with his mounted troops.
" In explaining his motive for the change, in
a report rendered afterward to the Secretary of
War, he said: 'The American backwoods men
ride better in the woods than any other people.
A musket or rifle is no impediment, they being
accustomed to carrying them on horseback
from their earliest youth. I was persuaded,
too, that the enemy would be quite unprepared
for the shock, and that they could not resist it.'
"The event speedily proved the wisdom of
the decision. The general's orders were
promptly obeyed, then a bugle sounded, and
the Americans moved coolly forward, neither
hesitating nor with undue haste, among huge
trees, over fallen timber, and through the
undergrowth, those impediments in their path
compelling them to move slowly.
"While they were still at some distance from
the front line of the British regulars the latter
opened upon them with a severe fire, which
caused some confusion at the head of the
ON INLAND WATERS. 125
column, the horses of some of them taking
fright; and before order was restored there
came second volley. Then with a tremendous
shout the American cavalry boldly dashed upon
the British line and broke it, scattering it in all
directions. Then the second line, thirty paces
in the rear, was treated in the same way, and
the horsemen wheeled right and left, pouring a
destructive fire upon the rear of the confused
and broken columns, so increasing their panic
that they threw down their arms and surrendered
as fast as they could.
"Lossing tells us that in less than five
minutes after the first shot was fired the whole
British force, more than eight hundred strong,
were totally vanquished, and most of them made
prisoners; only about fifty men and a single
officer escaping."
"Ah, that was a victory to be proud of!"
cried Lulu. "And what became of the brave
Proctor, papa?"
" He fled from the field as fast as his horses
would carry him, taking with him his personal
staff, a few dragoons, and some mounted In-
dians. In the words of the old song
" ' When Proctor saw lost was the day,
He fled La Tranche's plain :
A carriage bore the chief away,
Who ne'er returned again.'
126 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
He was hotly pursued by a part of Johnson's
corps under Major Payne."
"I think I remember, though, that they did
not succeed in catching him," remarked Rosie.
"No," said the captain; "ten of them con-
tinued the pursuit until dark, but could not
overtake him."
" Ah, it seems he was better at running away
than at fighting," said Walter; "but if I re-
member right, he had to abandon his fine
carriage."
"He did so; left the road and escaped by
some bypath," replied Captain Raymond. " So
rapid and masterly was his retreat that within
twenty-four hours he was sixty-five miles dis-
tant from his starting point the battle
ground."
"And the American officers and men got
nothing for their long chase, papa?" Grace
said enquiringly.
"A trifle more," returned the captain, with a
slightly amused look: "Major Wood captured
Proctor's carriage, sword, and valuable papers.
There were some beautifully written letters
from Proctor's wife, in which she addresses
him as 'Dear Henry.' "
"'Dear Henry,' indeed!" cried Lucilla scorn-
fully. "I could never love such a coward.
Nor nor such a cruel wretch delighting in
ON INLAND WATERS. 127
seeing men, women, and children tortured by
the savages, if he didn't take part in it with
his own hands. But you haven't finished the
story of the battle, papa."
"No, not quite. General Henry, with his
advancing columns, was hardly in sight of the
combatants before that part of the battle was
over; but at the same time that one bugle
sounded for that attack another was heard on
the left. Colonel Johnson and his troops moved
against the Indians almost at the same instant
that the first battalion under his brother
James and Major Payne attacked the British
regulars. He had divided his force and led
them the second battalion across the little
swamp to attack the Indian left. They were
in front of Shelby, with a company of infantry.
Harrison had taken a position on the extreme
right, near the bank of the river, where he
could observe and direct all the movements,
and with him were Adjutant-General Butler,
Commodore Perry, and General Cass.
"Tecumseh's savages reserved their fire till
the Americans were within a few paces of
them, then hurled upon them a deadly shower
of bullets, wounding General Johnson very
severely, and prostrating more than half his
vanguard of forlorn hope. On this part of the
field the undergrowth and the branches of the
128 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
trees were too thick to allow mounted men to
do much service with their rifles, therefore
Johnson ordered them to dismount and fight on
foot at close quarters. They obeyed, and there
were many hand to hand fights, the Kentuckians
as they fought raising now and again the fear-
ful cry, 'Remember the River Raisin.' "
"What did they mean by that, papa?" asked
Elsie.
"I will explain that at another time," he
replied. "You may ask for the story to-
morrow. And now, to go on with this for
a while it seemed doubtful which side would
win; but General Shelby, perceiving it, ordered
the regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Donaldson
to the support of Johnson, and General King to
press forward to the front with his brigade.
" The Indians had already recoiled from the
shock of the Kentucky riflemen, and now they
fled; they were pursued and a scattering run-
ning fight ended the battle. Proctor was run-
ning away as fast as he could, like some hunted
wild animal, and his savage allies scattered
themselves through the forest behind the larger
swamp."
"Tecumseh with the rest, papa?" asked
Elsie.
" No, my child, Tecumseh was lying dead on
the field of battle. But for his loss it is likely
ON INLAND WATERS. 129
the Indians would have continued the struggle
for some time longer."
"Who killed him, papa?" she asked.
"No one can say certainly," replied her
father, "though probably it was Johnson.
Tradition and history tell us that Tecumseh
had wounded Colonel Johnson with a rifle
bullet, and was springing forward to tomahawk
him, when Johnson drew a pistol from his belt
and shot him through the heart. It is said that
Johnson himself never either affirmed or denied
that his was the hand which slew Tecumseh.
Probably he did not really know whether the
Indian he had killed was the great chieftain or
some other. However, it is certain that he,
Tecumseh, was slain in that battle, as it seems
he had predicted that he would be, and it is a
question of little importance whose hand sped
the bullet or struck the blow that ended his
career."
There was a moment of silence, broken by
Grandma Elsie's soft voice :
" ' The moment -was fearful : a mightier foe
Had ne'er swung his battle axe o'er him ;
But hope nerved his arm for a desperate blow
And Tecumseh fell prostrate before him.
He fought in defence of his kindred and king
With spirit most loving and loyal,
And long shall the Indian warrior sing
The deeds of Tecumseh the royal.'
130 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
I presume you are right, captain, in thinking,"
she added, " that even Johnson himself did not
know whether the Indian he had shot was
Tecumseh, but as you have just said, the ques-
tion is of no historical importance. We do know,
however, that Johnson behaved most gallantly
in the battle of the Thames and was sorely
wounded in the hip, thigh, and hand; the last
from the Indian whom he shot. He was dis-
abled and said to his friend, Dr. Theobald, one
of his staff, fighting near him, *I am severely
wounded: where shall I go?' Theobald, say-
ing, 'Follow me,' led him across the smaller
swamp to the road and the stand of Governor
Shelby's surgeon-general. Johnson was faint
from the loss of blood, and his horse, it would
seem, was still more sorely wounded, for as
his master was lifted from his back he fell
dead."
"Oh, did the man die too, grandma?" asked
little Elsie, with a look of eager interest and
concern.
"No, dear; they gave him water, dressed his
wounds, and carried him on board a vessel they
had taken from the British. Captain Cham-
plin, the commander of the Scorpion, was there
on it; he took the colonel down the river in
that vessel to his own, lying at Dolsen's, and
from there, in her, to Detroit."
ON INLAND WATERS. 131
"Papa, did he get well and go back and fight
Borne more?" asked Ned.
"No, ray son; he went into Congress and
served his country well there. But now it is
high time for you and Elsie to go to your
berths. Bid us all good-night; to-morrow you
may ask as many questions as you please, and
papa will answer them to the best of his
ability."
\
CHAPTER Vin.
THE wind had risen while Captain Raymond
was talking, and now began to blow briskly,
bringing with it an occasional dash of rain ; a
state of affairs that presently sent the whole
party into the cabin, and a little later they had
all retired to their staterooms but the captain
and his two older daughters, who lingered
a few moments for the bit of chat with their
dearly loved father of which they were so fond.
" Do you think we are going to have a hard
storm, papa?" Grace asked a little anxiously,
as she came to him to say good-night.
"I hope not," he said, "do not be anxious;
remember, 'the Lord hath his way in the whirl-
wind and in the storm, and the clouds are the
dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea and
maketh it dry.' Remember, too, that 'the
Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble ;
and He knoweth them that trust in Him. '
" Oh, yes ! Thank you for reminding me of
those sweet words, father, dear," she returned
with a sigh of relief, and laying her cheek
affectionately against his as he put an arm about
132
ON INLAND WATERS. 133
her and held her close for a moment. "I will
trust and not be afraid."
"That is right, daughter," he said; "no real
evil can befall us while trusting in Him."
" But, papa, Christians do have great and real
distresses sometimes," she returned, with an
enquiring and slightly troubled look up into his
face.
"Yes, daughter, 'Whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth.' But 'like as a father pitieth his
children so the Lord pitieth them that fear
Him ;' and He will sustain them under all the
troubles that He sends. Remember that His
promise is, 'As thy days, so shall thy strength
be.'"
"Such a sweet, precious promise, papa!" she
said. " I will just put my dear ones and myself
in His care, trust in Him, and not lie awake,
dreading shipwreck."
" That is what I would have you do, my dar-
ling," he returned. Do not forget those sweet
words of Holy Writ: 'The Lord knoweth them
that trust in Him,' nor the promise that He
will never leave or forsake them. Put yourself
into His care and go to sleep untroubled by
doubts and fears. Good-night," he concluded,
as he kissed her tenderly and let her go.
"And how is it with my dear eldest
134 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
daughter?" he asked, turning to Lucilla, who
stood near awaiting her turn.
" I am not naturally so timid as Gracie, you
know, papa," she answered, smiling up into
his face as he passed an arm about her and drew
her close to his side, while with the other hand
he smoothed her hair caressingly, "and I do
believe that God will take care of us all through
the instrumentality of my own dear father, who
knows so well how to manage a vessel in calm
or storm. But you do not think there is much if
any danger, do you, papa?" she asked, gazing
searchingly into his face, "for you are not look-
ing at all anxious."
"There is a pretty stiff breeze," he said,
" and Erie is a stormy lake, owing to the shal-
lowness of its waters, and the consequent
liability to a heavy ground swell which renders
its navigation particularly difficult and danger-
ous; but I have passed over it a number of
times and do not feel any great amount of
anxiety in regard to our safety if I attend
properly to my duty as commander of the Dol-
phin," he concluded, with his pleasant smile.
"I must return to the deck, now; so good-
night, daughter dear. May you sleep sweetly
and peacefully, trusting in the care of your
earthly father, and still more in that of your
heavenly one."
ON INLAND WATERS. 135
"Oh, just one minute more, papa," she said
entreatingly, as he released her. "I I want
to say that I am afraid that I was almost, if
not quite, a little disrespectful to you once or
twice to-day."
"Ah! Well, darling, if you have been, it is
entirely forgiven ; so go to your bed in peace.
I must hurry on deck and cannot wait to talk
with you further now."
With the concluding words he hastened
away, while she looked after him with eyes full
of filial love, then as he disappeared she made
her way as quickly as the rolling of the vessel
would allow, across the saloon and joined her
sister in their stateroom.
There were tears in Grace's sweet blue eyes
as she lifted them to her sister's face.
"What, crying, Gracie darling?" Lulu asked,
with concern.
"Yes; to think of poor papa out on deck in
the wind and rain, while we are so comfortable
in here," answered Grace with a sob, pulling
out her handkerchief to wipe her eyes. " Oh,
I almost wish I were a big, strong sailor, and
knew all about managing a vessel, so that I
could take his place and have him to his berth
to rest and sleep."
" I'm sure I wish I could," sighed Lulu " He
ihould never have an ache or pain of any kind
236 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
if I might bear them for him ; never be any-
thing but the happiest man in the world if "
but she paused suddenly, while a vivid blush
suffused her face. " I have no right to talk so,"
she added in a remorseful tone, "I, who so
often fail to be the perfectly respectful and
cheerfully obedient daughter that I ought."
"I really think you judge yourself very
hardly, Lu," remarked Grace, with a surprised
glance into her sister's face. " You are always
perfectly obedient and very affectionate toward
our dear father, seeming to take great delight
in doing everything you can to please him and
add to his comfort ; I really do not think he has a
child who loves him better or does more for his
comfort; no, not even I, who esteem him the
very best and dearest father in the world," she
concluded, with a look and smile that said more
than her words.
"Oh, thank you, Gracie! I do love him
dearly, dearly; but as you know I am shame-
fully quick-tempered and wilful and sometimes
look vexed at a reproof or prohibition, then the
next minute could beat myself well for it."
"Lu, you never, never are in a passion now-
adays!" exclaimed Grace. "I own you do
look vexed sometimes for a minute or two, but
then it's all over and you are just as sweet and
pleasant as anyone could wish. Oh, you are
ON INLAND WATERS. 157
Just the dearest, dearest girl! Ah, you needn't
shake your head and look so dolorous," she
added, in a playful tone, putting her arms
about Lucilla and kissing her with ardent
affection.
"Ah, yes, you are all so dear and loving, so
ready to excuse my faults," Lulu said, returning
the embrace with interest. " No one more so
than our dear father, though I well know I have
given him more pain and trouble than any
other of his children, if not than all put together.
Gracie, let us kneel down together and ask God
to take care of papa and all of us, and that if it
is His will the storm may soon so abate that our
dear father can go to his berth and get a good
night's rest."
Grace was more than willing, and they spent
some minutes in earnest supplication.
In that act of prayer Grace cast all her care
upon the Lord, and scarcely had she more than
laid her head upon her pillow before she fell
asleep ; but Lucilla lay for hours listening to
the howling of the wind, the sound of the
waves dashing against the sides of the vessel,
her father's voice occasionally giving an order
through the speaking trumpet, and the hurried
and heavy tread of the sailors as they hastened
to obey. It seemed a worse storm than any she
had ever been in upon the water, and almost her
138 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
every breath was a prayer for the safety of the
yacht with all its living freight especially her
dearly loved father, now exposed to the fury of
the wind, waves, and rain that they might
pass through it in safety.
But at last she fell into a deep sleep, and for
some hours heard and felt nothing of the storm.
Yet it was not over when she awoke ; she could
still hear the howling of the wind, the rush of
the waters, and feel the rolling and pitching of
the vessel. But it was daylight, and slipping
from her berth with care not to rouse her still
sleeping sister, she knelt for a moment of heart-
felt thanks to her heavenly Father, that thus
far they had weathered the storm, and fervent
supplication that the vessel might outride it
in safety to the end.
Rising from her knees she made a hasty
toilet, then, anxious to learn of her father's wel-
fare, stole from the room, and holding on by
the furniture, crossed the saloon, then with
some difficulty climbed the cabin stairway and
reached the windswept deck.
One glance showed her her father standing
at a little distance, giving some direction to a
sailor. He did not see her. There was a mo-
mentary lull in the wind, and taking advantage
of it she started on a run toward him. But
just at that moment came another and fierce
ON INLAND WATERS. 139
gust that took her off her feet and swept her
toward the side of the vessel.
In another instant she would have been in the
water, had her father not turned suddenly and
caught her in his arms barely in time to save
her from that fate. He held her fast with one
arm while he grasped the railing with the other
hand, and held on till the gale again moderated
for a moment. Then he carried her back to
the cabin. They were alone there, for the
others were still in their staterooms. He
strained her to his breast in silence, and she
felt a tear fall on her head.
"Thank God, my darling, precious child is
safe in my arms!" he said at last, speaking
scarcely above a whisper, pressing his lips again
and again to her forehead, her cheek, her mouth.
"And my own dear father saved me," she
said in quivering tones, her arms about his
neck, her face half hidden on his breast.
" It was a narrow escape, my child," he sighed,
repeating his caresses, "a very narrow escape;
and what would I have done had I lost my
dear eldest daughter? You must not try it
again ; don't venture on deck again until I give
you permission."
"I will not, papa," she returned. "But oh,
haven't you been up all night? can't you taka
some rest now ?"
140 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Not yet; perhaps after a little. There,
there, do not look so distressed," smoothing her
hair caressingly as he spoke. "You must re-
member I am an old sailor and used to such
vigils. I had a cup of coffee and a biscuit a
while ago which quite refreshed me."
"But can't you go to your berth now and
take some hours of rest and sleep, papa, dear?"
she asked entreatingly, her eyes gazing lovingly
into his. "Surely someone among your men
must be fit to take charge of the yacht for a
while."
"Not just yet, daughter; perhaps before
long I can do so. I must leave you now and go
back to my duties ; and do you go to your state-
room and thank your heavenly Father for your
escape from a watery grave."
With that he released her and hurried away
up the cabin stairs, she following him with
looks of yearning affection till he disappeared
from view, then hastening to obey his parting
injunction.
Her heart was full of love and gratitude to
God for her spared life, and that thus far they
had escaped shipwreck, and even as she gave
thanks it seemed to her that there was a lull in
the storm the wind almost ceasing to blow and
the vessel rocking much less.
" Oh, Gracie," she said, as she rose from her
ON INLAND WATERS. 141
knees and perceived that her sister's eyes were
open, "I do think I do hope that the worst of
the storm is over."
"Do you?" cried Grace joyously, hastily
throwing back the covering and stepping out
upon the floor. "Oh, how glad I am! How
good God has been to us all! But where is
papa? Has he been up all night?"
"Yes," replied Lulu, "and oh, Gracie, if it
hadn't been for him I would be at the bottom
of the lake now," she added, with tears of
gratitude filling her eyes.
"Why, Lu!" exclaimed Grace in astonish-
ment, "you surely did not venture up on the
deck in this storm?"
"I did, and was nearly blown into the lake,
but papa caught me, held me fast for a minute,
then carried me down into the cabin."
" Oh, Lu ! Lu ! I hope you will never venture
so again! I'd be broken-hearted, and so would
papa, and indeed, all the rest, if we lost you in
that way. What could I ever do without my
dear, big sister?" she concluded, putting her
arms about Lucilla and holding her fast in a
most loving embrace.
"Oh, but it is nice that you love me so,
Gracie, dear," Lulu returned.
" It was very foolish in me to venture on deck
in such a gale, but papa did not scold me at
142 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
all ; just held me fast, petting and caressing me
as if I were one if his greatest treasures. "
"Of course," said Grace. "But didn't he
forbid you to try going on deck again before
the wind dies down?"
" Yes," acknowledged Lulu. " Oh, I wish he
could stay below too. I want him to go to his
berth and sleep off his fatigue. He must be
very tired after his long night's vigil. But it
is nearly breakfast time, and we should be
making ourselves neat to appear at the table,
looking as papa would have us."
An hour later all had gathered about the
table, the captain at the head of it as usual,
and looking cheerful and pleasant-tempered as
was his wont, though somewhat weary and
worn. He reported the storm nearly over, no
serious damage done the vessel, nor much time
lost. He hoped to be in the Welland Canal
before night, and that they would find them-
selves on Lake Ontario when they woke in the
morning.
a And can you not go to your berth for some
hours' rest and sleep when you have finished
your breakfast, my dear?" queried Violet, with
a loving, anxious look into his face.
" Probably ; after a short visit to the deck to
see that all is going right there. Excuse me,
my dear," he added, pushing away his plate
ON INLAND WATERS. 143
and rising to his feet as he spoke. "I must
return to my duties at once, but would have
everyone else finish the mea\ at leisure," and
with the last word he hurried away.
"My dear papa looks so tired, mamma," re-
marked little Elsie in regretful tones, "what
has he been doing?"
"Staying up all night to take care of us,"
replied Violet, the tears shining in her eyes.
"Don't you think we ought to love dear
papa and do all we can to make him
happy?"
"Yes, indeed, mamma!" answered the little
girl earnestly. "Oh, I hope he can get a good
sleep soon so that he will feel rested and well.
I was going to ask him to tell me about what
happened at the River Raisin. You know our
soldiers, in that fight with the British and
Indians that he told us about yesterday, called
out over and over again, 'Remember the River
Raisin,' and papa said he would tell me what it
meant if I would ask him to-day. But I can
wait till to-morrow," she added, with a sigh of
resignation.
"How would it do for grandma to take your
papa's place and tell you the story?" asked
Grandma Elsie, in cheerful tones, and with a
loving, smiling look at the little girl.
"Oh, nicely, grandma! I don't know but
144 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
you could do it as well as papa could," answered
the child eagerly.
"Ah, dearie, it is a very sad story, and I
think I shall have to make it short," sighed
Mrs. Travilla; "the details would but harrow
up your feelings unnecessarily."
"Bad doings of the British and Indians,
grandma?" queried the little girl.
"Yes; it was that, indeed!" said Mr. Dins-
more ; " the latter part of the tragedy a terrible
slaughter of defenceless prisoners tortured,
scalped, tomahawked, slain in various ways
with the utmost cruelty; many of them burned
alive in the houses where they lay wounded,
unable to move. It was a fearful slaughter
which Proctor, far from trying to prevent,
rewarded with praise and the purchase of the
scalps."
" Oh, wasn't he a very, very bad man, grand-
pa?" exclaimed little Elsie.
"More of a devil than a man, I should say,"
exclaimed Walter. "I remember reading an
extract from a letter written a few days later,
from Fort Maiden, by a Kentuckian to his
mother, in which he says, 'Never, dear mother,
should I live a thousand years can I forget
the frightful sight of this morning, when
hideously painted Indians came into the fort,
some of them carrying half a dozen scalps of
ON INLAND WATERS. 145
my countrymen fastened upon sticks and yet
covered with blood, and were congratulated by
Colonel Proctor for their bravery."
" But all the British officers were not so cruel,
Walter, my dear," said his mother. "I re-
member the story of the letter to which you
refer, and that the writer went on to say that
he heard two British officers talking of that
scene together; that one of them, whose name,
he had been told, was Lieutenant-Colonel
St. George, remarked to the other that Proctor
was a disgrace to the British army, that such
encouragement to devils was a blot upon the
British character."
" Oh, please, grandma," cried little Elsie in
distress, "I don't want to hear any more of
that story."
" No, dear, it is far from being a pleasant
one, nor is it worth while to harrow up your
feelings with it," returned Mrs. Travilla. "I
will try to find some pleasanter one for you and
Neddie boy to help you pass the time agree-
ably while the storm prevents us from enjoying
ourselves upon the deck."
With that all rose and left the table to gather
in the saloon for morning worship, which, in
the captain's absence, was conducted by Mr,
Dinsmore.
But the storm was abating so that in another
146 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
half hour Captain Raymond felt it safe to
leave the deck and retire to his stateroom for
much needed rest and sleep, and the others could
sit comfortably in the saloon, the ladies with
their fancy work, while Grandma Elsie enter-
tained the little folks with stories suited to
their tender years.
Walter, too, was one of the listeners for a
time, then with his grandfather ventured upon
deck to take an observation of the weather and
their surroundings. When they returned it
was with the cheering report that the storm had
evidently spent its fury, the wind had nearly
died down, the rain ceased to fall, and the sun
was struggling through the clouds.
"Oh, then we can go up on deck, can't we,
grandpa?" cried Neddie, in eager tones.
"After a little, sonny," returned his grandpa,
sitting down and drawing the young pleader to
his knee.
" When my papa wakes up?" queried Neddie,
in a slightly disappointed tone.
"Yes, indeed, Ned," said Lucilla, "for
though I am so much older than you, papa for-
bade me to go up there without his permission."
"Why did he, Lu?" asked Elsie in a tone of
surprise; "and haven't you been up there at all
this morning?"
" Yes, I was, before papa had forbidden me
ON INLAND WATERS 147
and would have been blown into the lake if he
hadn't caught me in his arms and held me fast."
"Oh, Lu, tell us all about it!" cried Ned,
while the others who had not heard the story
expressed their surprise in various ways and
asked question upon question.
"There's hardly anything more to tell,"
replied Lucilla. "I know papa is always on
deck early in the morning, and as I wake early
too, I have a habit of running up there to
exchange morning greetings with him. That
was what I went for this time, not at all realiz-
ing how hard the wind was blowing, but I had
scarcely set foot on the deck when it took my
skirts and sent me across toward the spot where
papa stood holding on to the railing with one
hand, his speaking trumpet in the other. He
dropped that in an instant and threw his arm
round me." As she spoke she shuddered at the
thought of her narrow escape from a watery
grave, and her voice trembled with emotion.
Controlling it with an effort, "You see," she
concluded, "that I owe my life to my dear
father, and and I love him even better than
ever, though I thought before that I loved him
as much as was possible."
At that Violet dropped her work, went
quickly to Lucilla's side, and bending down
over her, kissed her with warmth of affection.
148 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
" Oh, I am so glad so thankful that he was
able to do it," she said in trembling tones and
with tears in her eyes. "Dear Lu, it would
have broken our hearts to lose you in that
sudden, dreadful way."
"As it would mine to lose you, dear Mamma
Vi," returned Lucilla with emotion, putting her
arms about Violet's neck and returning her
caresses with interest, "for you are so very
good, kind, and loving that I have grown very
fond of you. And I know it would break
papa's heart to lose you, even more than to lose
me or all of his children."
" Oh, I hope he may never be so tried ! for I
know he loves us all very dearly, as we do
him," said Violet. " I don't know what any of
us could do without him."
CHAPTER IX.
THE sun was just peeping above the horizon,
the yacht moving swiftly and steadily onward
as Lucilla stepped from the companion-way
upon the deck, the next morning, having
obtained permission the night before to do so
in case the quiet movements of the vessel made
it certain she would run no such risk as she had
the previous day.
Her father was pacing the deck, and so near
that he took her hand the moment she appeared.
"My early bird, as usual! Good-morning,
daughter mine," he said in tender tones as he
bent down and bestowed upon her the caress
she never failed to receive from him when first
they met at the beginning of a new day.
"Good-morning, dear, dear papa, yester-
day's saver of my life," she returned, in moved
tones, putting her arms about his neck and
pressing her lips to his again and again. "Oh,
father, surely I belong to you more than ever
now !"
"You are my very own, one of my chief
treasures," he said, in response to that. "God
149
150 ELSIE'S JOWRNEY
bless my darling and have her ever in His kind
care and keeping!" He clasped her hand ten-
derly in his as he spoke, and for a while they
paced the deck together.
"Oh, where are we, papa?" she asked, gaz-
ing from side to side in eager curiosity.
"This wide expanse of water cannot be the
Welland Canal?"
" No, we passed through that in the night,
and are now in Lake Ontario."
" Oh, I am glad we are so far on our journey,"
she said, "and the water is so quiet that it
seems a very suitable place in which to spend
this sweet Sabbath day. "
"I think so, if only we try to spend it aright."
"I do intend to," she responded. "And we
shall have our usual service in the morning; we
younger ones a Bible lesson with papa in the
afternoon, won't we?"
"I think so," he said. "I certainly expect
to give my own children a Bible lesson, and we
will not shut out any who may choose to take
apart in it. That would be very selfish, would
it not?"
"Yes, sir! yes, indeed! I think so, for you
always make a Bible lesson very interesting as
well as instructive."
"I am glad my daughter finds it so," he said,
smiling down upon her.
ON INLAND WATERS. 151
They moved silently back and forth for a few
minutes, Lucilla apparently in deep thought,
her father watching with keen and loving in-
terest the changeful expression of her features.
"What is it, daughter? Of what are you
thinking?" he asked at length.
"About the narrow escape of yesterday,
papa," she answered, lifting to his a face full
of solemn awe. "I was asking myself, as I
have many times since my narrow escape of
yesterday morning, Was I ready for heaven?
Would I have gone there if I had been drowned
without time to think and prepare to meet my
Judge? ^ Oh, father, can anyone be saved with-
out time to think and repent of every wrong
thought and feeling, and asking God's forgive-
ness for it? And how would it be possible to
do all that while struggling for your life?"
"Daughter," he said in tender tones, "are
you not forgetting these sweet words of Holy
Writ: 'He that belie veth on the Son hath ever-
lasting life?' Take notice, it is not shall have,
but hath. It is not only the sins already com-
mitted which God forgives for Jesus' sake
when He adopts us for His own, but those also
which in His omniscience He sees that we will
be guilty of before the work of sanctification
& finished. If we are truly His, they are all for*
given in advance. He says: 'I give unto them
152 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My
Father which gave them me is greater than all ;
and no man is able to pluck them out of my
Father's hand. I and my Father are one.' In
another place he says, 'Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that heareth my word and be-
lieveth on Him that sent me hath everlasting
life and shall not come into condemnation; but
is passed from death unto life. ' The one impor-
tant question is, are we really His? Have we
accepted His offered salvation and given our-
selves entirely to Him? If that be so we have
no cause for anxiety or fear; for the Lord
knoweth them that are His, and will never
suffer any real evil to befall them. Death will
be but going home to Him, and that with all
the sin taken away and we made perfect in holi-
ness, no want of conformity to His holy will
left in us."
"Yes, papa, but "
"But what, daughter?"
" Oh, if I should be mistaken in thinking that
I really belong to Him ! Papa, how can I know
it?"
"Have you any doubt that you are mine?"
"No, indeed, papa, not the slightest."
"But how do you know it?"
*' Because you have told me BO again and
ON INLAND WATERS. 153
again ; and besides, I have only to look in the
glass to see that I have your features, that I
resemble you about as much in looks as a young
girl can resemble a "
"Middle-aged man," he added, finishing the
sentence for her as she paused with an earnest,
loving look up into his face.
"And the Bible tells us," he continued, "that
'Whom He did foreknow He also did predes-
tinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son. ' If we are really His, we will, in a greater
or less degree, resemble Him and will be
changed into the same image from glory to
glory."
"Do you see anything of His image in me,
papa?" she asked anxiously, humbly.
"I am glad, very glad to be able to say that
I think I do, daughter," he replied joyously,
tenderly. "For years past I have watched you
very closely, constantly praying God to bless
my efforts to train you up in the way you
should go, and bring you to Him, and I am
very happy to say that for a long while now I
have seen that you were striving earnestly to
overcome your faults and live as a true disciple
of Christ. And had you been snatched from
me in that sudden way, while the loss of my
dear child would have been terrible to me, I
should not have mourned as those without hope j
154 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
but should now be looking forward to a happy
meeting with you in that blessed land where
sin and sorrow and death are unknown."
"Thank you, dear papa, oh, thank you very
much!" she said, with emotion. "If I am a
Christian it is because you have taken almost
infinite pains to make me such, to point me to
Christ and lead the way; the way that you
made plainer to me than anyone else ever did."
" Give all the glory and praise to God, my
darling," he responded, in moved tones. "It
has been my daily, earnest prayer, that He
would give me wisdom for the work of bring-
ing my children to Him and bless my efforts,
and I think my petition has been granted.
When you see a work laid to your hands for
which you feel incompetent, ask help from on
high, remembering and pleading His gracious
promise 'If any of you lack wisdom let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.'
Never forget that last clause. God knows the
heart, and it will be useless for us to plead
with Him a promise which we do not really
believe."
"Yes, papa; surely that would be insulting
to even a human creature. Oh, pray for me,
that I may have strong faith and never, never
ON INLAND WATERS. 155
doubt one word of God's promises, or threats
either, and that I may be always ready for
whatever He sends. Oh, I can never thank
Him enough for giving me such a good, kind,
praying, Christian father!"
" And I have great reason for gratitude for
the dear children he has bestowed upon me,"
her father responded, pressing the hand he
held, "and for the hope that we will spend a
blessed eternity together in that land where sin
and sorrow are unknown."
"Yes, papa, what a delightful thought that
is! and yet I cannot help feeling glad to stay a
little longer here in this world. Oh, this is
such a lovely morning and the view is as new
to me as it is enchanting, for, as you know, in
going to Chicago we passed over this part of
the route in the night, so that I saw nothing of
the scenery."
" Well, I think you may enjoy it to the full
to-day," he returned, "and that some time in
tne afternoon you will get a sight of the Thou-
sand Islands; though, by the way, counting all,
big and little, there are fifteen hundred or
more."
"Then we won't stop at all of them?"
" Hardly," he answered with a smile. " They
fill the river for twenty-seven miles along its
course. Most of them are mere rocky islets,
156 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
covered generally with stunted hemlocks and
cedar trees down to the water's edge. Some
are square miles in extent and others only a few
yards."
" And how wide is the river where they are,
papa?"
"It varies from two to nine miles in width.
Canoes and small boats may pass safely among
all the islands, and there is a deep channel for
steamboats and large vessels which, having a
rocky bottom, never varies in depth or posi-
tion."
" Do they belong to our country or to Can-
ada, papa? I ought to know, but, if I ever
did, I have forgotten."
"The boundary line, which was determined
in 1818, passes among them. Grindstone,
Carleton, and Wells are the names of the
largest of those belonging to the United States,
and Grand and Howe of those belonging to
Canada."
"And there are a good many stories con-
nected with them, are there not, papa?"
"Yes; perhaps one of these days we will
hunt them up; for I know that my children
to say nothing of older people are fond of
stories."
" Especially when told by our father, who is
sure to make them interesting," she said, with
ON INLAND WATERS. 157
an upward glance into his face that spoke vol-
umes of love and admiration.
"Ah, such, it seems, is the opinion of my par-
tial eldest daughter, who can see nothing in
her father but what is good and admirable."
"A weakness equally shared by his wife,"
remarked a clear, sweet voice in their rear.
They turned quickly at the sound, the cap-
tain exclaiming, as he let go his daughter's
hand, put an arm about Violet, bent down and
kissed her tenderly, "This is a most agreeable
surprise, my dearest, for I left you, at least,
so I thought, fast asleep. I moved as quietly
as I could, not wishing to disturb your slum-
bers."
"As you always do move on such occasions,
my best and dearest of husbands," she re-
sponded, returning his caresses. "You made
no noise, but somehow I happened to wake just
as you closed the door, and thinking I would
secure for myself the rare treat of an early
walk with my better half, I left my berth
promptly and began my toilet. So here I am,
to spoil Lu's private morning interview with
the almost idolized father she considers her
peculiar property at this hour of the day."
" Ah !" he returned laughingly, " I put it the
other way. She is my property, yet hardly
more so than my lovely young wife."
158 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
" Yes ; you and I belong to each other, and
Lu can say the same to you," laughed Violet.
" Can't you, Lu?"
"So I think, Mamma Vi," returned Lucilla,
"and though probably you are nearer and dearer
to him than I, you cannot say as I can, that
you have his blood in your veins and have be-
longed to him ever since you were born."
"No," acknowledged Violet, "but I can say
I belong to him of choice, you only of neces-
sity."
"Oh, that doesn't matter!" laughed Lucilla;
"since if I had the privilege of choosing, I
should be all the same his very, very own.
That is, if he would have me," she added, with
a look of ardent affection up into her father's
face, and laying her hand upon his shoulder.
"There is no question about that, dear
child," he said, putting his arm round her
waist again. "Since the day I first heard of
your birth there has not been one in which
I have not thanked God for this good gift
of His to me," he concluded, with a fond
caress.
" So you see you have no need to be jealous
even of me, Lu," Violet said, with pleased
look and smile.
"No, I am not, Mamma Vi, not in the least;
for I would far rather be papa's daughter than.
ON INLAND WATERS. 159
his wife. But, I suppose, you would rather
have him to yourself for a while now, so I will
go down "
"No, no, Lu dear, stay here with us," inter-
rupted Violet, while the captain drew hi*
daughter a little closer, saying, "Stay where
you are. Cannot I have and enjoy you both at
once?"
" Oh, I'm glad enough to be allowed to stay,
if you both want me," exclaimed Lucilla, with
a pleased little laugh. "But I thought I had
had my turn and was afraid I'd be in the way
now."
" When I find you in the way I shall not hesi-
tate to give you an order to go below," her
father said, with a look of amusement.
Then, taking her hand in his and giving the
other arm to Violet, he resumed the interrupted
promenade of the deck till they were joined by
the children and older members of the family
party.
Then came the summons to the breakfast
table. All were in excellent spirits, greatly
enjoying the pleasant change from yesterday's
storm to the lovely weather of to-day. Most
of the day was spent upon the deck holding
the Sabbath services usual with them there,
then in reading and conversation suited to the
sacred time, or in gazing out over the waters,
160 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
watching the passing vessels, and as they
steamed from the lake into the St. Lawrence
River and pursued their way among the islands
there, gazing upon them with interest and
curiosity.
"Are we going to stop at any of them,
papa?" asked Grace.
"I think not," he replied. " We are in some
haste to reach Montreal, as we hope to find
letters there from the home folks."
"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, "I am hoping
to hear from my boys Harold and Herbert-
that they have arrived safely at home ; also for
some news from all the other dear ones in that
vicinity."
"And we hope it will be all good news,"
added Captain Raymond cheerily.
" And we will send despatches and letters to
some of them, that all may be apprised of our
safety thus far," added his wife.
"Yes, indeed," said Violet. "By the way,
I wonder where our bride and groom are by
this time? I wish we might come across them
and persuade them to travel in the Dolphin
again. We would only have to crowd a little
as before, to make room for them."
"And none of us would object to that, I
think," remarked Rose.
"I, for one, am decidedly of the opinion that
ON INLAND WATERS. 161
It would pay," said Lucilla. "Don't you think
so, father?"
"Yes; I have always found their society
enjoyable," Captain Raymond replied to that.
"And I hope they have found ours agreeable
enough to need but little urging to accept our
invitation."
"Perhaps we may come upon them in Mon-
treal," remarked Grace. "Papa, is it not the
largest city of Lower Canada?"
"Yes; the largest in British America."
"Where is it, papa?" asked little Elsie.
" On the left bank of this the St. Lawrence
River, 200 miles below Lake Ontario; 160
above Quebec, which will be our next stopping
place."
"Will we get there to-day, papa?" asked
Elsie.
"No," he replied. " To-day is nearly gone,
daughter. See, the sun is setting, and you and
Neddie will be going presently to your beds, to
have a good night's sleep, I hope, and be
ready to enjoy to-morrow's visit to Montreal."
CHAPTER X.
THE drip, drip of rain was the first sound
that greeted Lucilla's ears on awaking the next
morning. She started up in her berth and
listened. The Dolphin was not moving.
"Oh, we must be anchored at Montreal, and
it's raining," she said to herself. "There will
not be much sight-seeing for us to-day, I'm
afraid. Dear, dear! I hope we won't hare to
hurry away without seeing anything. Though
in that case, perhaps papa will bring us here
again next year."
She did not linger long over her toilet, and
was soon with her father on the deck.
"Oh, papa!" she exclaimed, after the usual
morning greetings had been exchanged, "aren't
you sorry it has turned out a rainy day?"
"A bright one would seem pleasanter to us,
as we had planned to do some sight-seeing," he
replied, "but let us remember who sends the
changes of the weather, that He knows what
is best for us, and that we may safely trust in
His knowledge, power, and love for us?"
" Yes, papa, that is how I ought to feel about
162
ON INLAND WATERS. 163
it, and I will try to," she said, a sweet smile
replacing the sight frown that had marred the
beauty of her face for the moment.
"I think," he went on presently, "that it is
not going to be a lasting rain. Probably
showery for some hours, which we can spend
with advantage in a short review of the history
of Montreal, and considering what parts of it
are most worthy of our attention ; for we can-
not take time to visit every locality."
" Oh, what a nice idea, papa ! It quite com-
forts me !" she cried, looking up into his face
with a bright, glad smile, "I do think I have
just the very best, kindest, wisest father "
"There, there! that will do!" he said, stop-
ping her flow of words with a kiss full upon
her lips. " I am afraid my eldest daughter is
a decided flatterer."
"Oh, papa, the truth isn't flattery, is it?"
she asked with a roguish look up into his eyes.
" Ah ! but silly young things, like my daughter
Lucilla, oftentimes have vivid imaginations.
But to change the subject, Montreal, you know,
is historic ground."
"Yes, sir; I remember that the first white
man who visited it was Jacques Quartier or
Cartier, a French navigator. And didn't he
discover the Gulf and River St. Lawrence?
and give them those names?"
164 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Yes; and named the place here Mount
Royal in honor of his king, Francis I. The
city is built upon an island thirty miles long
and twelve wide, and upon the site of a noted
Indian village called Hochelaga. Cartier's
visit was paid in 1535. In 1640 a white settle-
ment was gathered there. The Indians, friendly
at first, afterward became jealous, then hostile.
The whites at first defended their town with
a stockade and slight bastions, but later with
a strong wall of masonry fifteen feet high, with
battlements and six gates."
"What an old, old town it is!" exclaimed
Lucilla. "Did it become a large city very
quickly, papa?"
"No; its growth was gradual, but when in
the middle of the last century hostilities were
begun between the French and English colonies,
Montreal was an important frontier town. It
was threatened by the English under Amherst
in 1759, and in the autumn of the next year
passed out of the possession of the French into
that of the English."
"And they have kept it ever since?"
"Yes; though our people invaded it in 1775,
after the capture of Forts St. John and
Chambly."
"Oh, yes, sir! under Montgomery and
Arnold, wasn't it?"
ON INLAND WATERS. 165
"The first attack was under Ethan Allen,
and was made a month earlier than the taking
of those forts," replied the captain. " Mont-
gomery had sent him to arouse the people in
favor of the rebellion, as our cause was then
styled by our foes. Allen was active and brave,
and soon had gathered 250 Canadians to his
standard. He wrote, Lossing tells us, to Mont-
gomery, that within three days he would join
him, with at least 500 armed Canadians, in lay-
ing siege to St. John's.
" He was marching up the east side of the St.
Lawrence when he fell in with Major Brown,
at the head of an advanced party of Americans
and Canadians, and Brown proposed that they
should make a joint attack upon Montreal; tell-
ing Allen it was weak and defenceless. Allen
agreed and they made their arrangements.
Allen was to get canoes and cross the river
below the city with his troops, while Brown
was to cross above with 200 men, and they
were to attack the city simultaneously.
"But for some unexplained reason Brown
failed to keep his part of the agreement, and
Allen's party made the attack alone.
"It was at night, a rough, windy night, that
they, 80 Canadians and 30 Americans, crossed
the river, and they had so few canoes that
three crossings were necessary to carry the
166 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
whole party over. That was safely accom-
plished by daylight, at which time AlleD ex-
pected to hear Brown's signal, telling him that
he too had crossed with his men. But the
signal was waited for in vain. He did not
come at all.
"Allen would have retreated if the boats
could have carried all over at once ; as it was,
he placed guards on the roads to prevent people
from carrying the news of his presence into
the city. But in spite of that precaution the
inhabitants somehow became aware of it, and
soon troops were seen issuing from the gates.
They consisted of a force of 40 British regulars,
200 Canadians, and a few Indians.
" Two to one of the Americans, if not more !"
exclaimed Lucilla.
"Yes," said her father, "but so brave were
our men that they fought for an hour and
three-quarters before they would surrender.
At last, however, they all deserted but 28,
7 of whom were wounded, and Allen agreed
to surrender upon being promised honorable
terms."
"The prisoners were marched to Montreal
and well treated until General Prescott got
them in his custody, when he behaved toward
them in the most brutal manner. Learning
that Allen was the man who captured Ticon-
ON INLAND WATERS. 167
deroga, he flew into a rage, threatened him with
a halter, and ordered him to be bound hand
and foot in irons and placed on board the
war schooner Gaspee. A bar of iron eight
feet long was attached to his fetters, his fellow-
prisoners were fastened together in pairs with
handcuffs, and all were thrust into the lowest
part of the ship, where they were allowed
neither bed nor seat."
"Oh, papa! what a monster of cruelty that
Prescott must have been !" exclaimed Lucilla.
" Was he not the same Prescott who had com-
mand of the British troops in Rhode Island
some two years later?"
" The very same ; a most unfit man for such
a position as he held then and there. A
cowardly wretch, a petty tvrant, with a callous
heart, a narrow mind, and utterly destitute of
benevolence or charity."
"But what became of Allen finally, papa?
If I ever knew, I have forgotten."
" He was kept for five weeks in that deplor-
able condition, at Montreal, on board the
Gaspee; then the vessel was sent down to
Quebec, and he was put on board of another
vessel, where he was treated humanely. He
was sent to England to be tried for treason, and
landed at Falmouth, where his grotesque garb
attracted a great deal of attention. He was
168 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
afterward sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and
thence to New York, where, in May 1778, he
was exchanged for Colonel Campbell."
"There is not nearly so much to be seen
here as in Quebec, is there, papa?" she
asked.
"No, "he replied, "and we will not stay very
long here, but will spend more of our time
there."
" Oh, papa, didn't General Montgomery come
to Montreal some time after the events you
have been telling of?"
"Yes; after the fall of St. John's. Carle-
ton knew the place was weak, and at once
retreated on board of one of a number of small
vessels lying in the river, as did General Pres-
cott, several officers, and 120 private soldiers.
But Montgomery, as soon as he was aware that
they were trying to flee, sent Colonel Baston
with continental troops, cannon, and armed gon-
dolas to the mouth of the Sorel, where they were
posted so advantageously that the British fleet
could not pass, so were compelled to surrender.
But Carleton escaped, in a boat with muffled
oars, past the American post to Three Rivers,
from which place he soon reached Quebec in
safety."
"What a pity! I wish the Americans had
been more watchful !" exclaimed Lucilla.
ON INLAND WATERS. 169
"They were watchful in their guard boats,"
replied her father, " but a dark night and secret
way were in Carleton's favor. They secured
Prescott, who certainly richly deserved to be
made prisoner and treated far worse than he was,
but that was by no means the loss to the British
that the taking of Carleton would have been,
for Prescott's conduct on many occasions made
him a disgrace to their army. But we have
had a long talk, and there is the call to break-
fast."
In spite of the drip and splash of the rain
outside the faces that surrounded the breakfast
table were bright and cheery.
"There will be no going ashore to-day, I
presume," remarked Grandma Elsie, when the
blessing had been asked, and the filling of plates
and coffee cups had begun.
"I do not despair of it, mother," returned the
captain, in cheerful tones. "It does not seem
to me like a settled rain. I think it will clear
by noon, and that then we can go about the
city and its environs in carriages."
"Yes," said Mr. Dinsmore, "though our
own are beyond reach at present, it is alto-
gether likely the city, in the persons of some of
its inhabitants, supplies vehicles for those will-
ing to pay for their use."
"No doubt of it," said the captain.
170 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
" Where is Walter, mamma ?" queried Violet,
noticing that the boy's seat was unoccupied.
"I do not know. I fear he has overslept
himself," replied her mother.
"No, mother," said the captain; "he wac
early on deck and begged permission of me to
go into the city in quest of our mail. Ah, here
he comes," as a blithe boyish voice was heard
at the head of the companion-way.
In another moment the lad entered, looking
rosy and exultant.
"Mail for us all, not to speak of telegrams,"
he said, in lively tones, emptying his pockets
as he spoke, and handing letters and papers to
one and another. "Mamma, your share is a
large one, as it ought to be ; the telegram, from
my brothers, I presume, to announce their safe
arrival at home; it is the one at the top of the
pile, as you may see," handing her a number
of missives.
"Yes; and most satisfactory," she said,
with a smile and a sigh of relief, as she opened
and read it at a glance. "'Just arrived safely.
Hear that all the relatives are well.' Ah, what
cause for gratitude to the Giver of all good !"
she exclaimed low and feelingly. "There have
been so many accidents, yet we and our dear
ones have escaped them all."
"It is indeed a cause for gratitude," re-*
ON INLAND WATERS.
sponded her father. "We will trust in Him
arid not be afraid; for wherever we go we are
under His kind care and protection."
"A most comforting and cheering thought,"
said the captain.
Grandma Elsie was opening a letter post-
marked Newport, R. I.
"Ah, this is from our dear Molly!" she said.
"She dates 'Paradise Valley.' Where is
that?"
"It is on the island of Rhode Island, a few
miles out from the City of Newport," replied
the captain.
"Ah, yes; so she tells me," responded Mrs.
Travilla, her eyes still upon the letter. " They
have taken a furnished house for some months,
there is another within a few yards of it, now
empty, and they want us all to come there,
help fill the two, and have a pleasant time for
a few days, or weeks, enjoying the lovely
scenery, the sea breeze, and each other's
society. What do you all say to the propo-
sition?"
"1 think we might spend a short time as
pleasantly there as anywhere else," said Mr.
Dinsmore.
a As I do," said his wife.
" I only wish I could be of the party," sighed
Walter, assuming a very depressed expression
172 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
of countenance; "but my college duties will
claim my attention before that."
"For which you may be very thankful,
laddie," said his sister Rose. "Remember it
is not every boy or young man who attains
to the blessing of a college education, without
having to earn it by hard work."
"I expect and intend to do hard work," re-
turned Walter, stirring his coffee, for he had
seated himself and was beginning a hearty
breakfast.
" On which side is your vote to be cast, Vio-
let, my dear?" asked the captain in his pleasant
tones, turning inquiringly to his young wife.
" I think a brief visit there, on our homeward
route, might be very enjoyable," she replied;
"but if my husband prefers to go directly
home I shall be entirely content."
"Thank you, my dear. I do not see any
need of excessive haste in returning home, and
it shall be just as you say, whether we accept
Cousin Molly's invitation or decline it."
" Then suppose we leave it to Lu and Gracie
to say what shall be done, so far as our imme-
diate family is concerned."
"Very well," he said. "Speak freely,
daughters, in regard to your preferences for
accepting this invitation or going directly
home after visiting Quebec."
ON INLAND WATERS. 173
"I shall be perfectly satisfied with my
father's decision," said Lucilla, with a smiling
look up into his face. "I have no doubt the
little visit to Paradise Valley would prove very
enjoyable, yet home is to me the sweetest place
on earth, and we have been away from it a
good many weeks already."
Captain Raymond looked not ill pleased with
her reply, but turned inquiringly to Grace.
"I can echo my sister's sentiments, father
dear," she said, with her own sweet smile;
" keep me with you and I shall be content and
happy wherever that may be."
The captain's answering smile seemed to say
he thought no other man had daughters quite
equal to his, but turning to Evelyn he asked
what were her wishes in regard to the matter.
" I have no doubt a visit to Paradise Valley
would be very enjoyable, captain," she replied,
with a smile, "that is, if the place is at all sug-
gestive of the name, but like your daughters, I
shall be perfectly contented whether we stop
there for a time or go on directly home."
"There!" exclaimed Rosie, "were ever such
accommodating girls seen before? Now,
Brother Levis, when I am asked that question
I shall give a different reply, if only to furnish
a trifle of the spice of variety."
"Consider it asked then, my dear young
1T4 ELSIE'S JOUENE7
sister," he returned, with assumed gravity, but
a twinkle of fun in his eye.
"I do, and my answer is, that I am decidedly
in favor of accepting Cousin Molly's invitation.
I have a great desire to see Paradise, since the
thing may be so easily accomplished, and no-
body seems to have any objection to going
there."
"Then we will consider the question decided
in the affirmative," said the captain, "and
make our arrangements accordingly."
"Not allowing among them an avoidance of
Quebec, I trust," said Walter; "for I own that
I very much want to see that old city."
"Set your mind at rest on that point, my
boy," said the captain pleasantly; "I hardly
think there is one of us who would willingly
miss that visit."
"I am glad to hear you say that, captain,"
said Evelyn, " for I, for one, am looking forward
to our visit there with a great deal of interest."
The little ones now asked to be excused, and
went away to their plays, but the others sat
about the table reading their letters now and
then a few sentences aloud, for the benefit of
the company until Walter had finished his
meal, when they all gathered in the saloon for
their regular morning service of prayer, Bible
reading, and sacred song.
ON INLAND WATERS. 175
When that duty had been duly attended to,
the gentlemen and some of the ladies went
upon deck for a time. Rain was still falling,
but less heavily than in the earlier hours, and
Captain Raymond and Mr. Dinsmore decide^
to pay a visit to the city, promising to return
in an hour or two, bringing vehicles for a drive,
in case the weather should so improve that a
little excursion might be taken with safety and
pleasure.
Mrs. Travilla, Violet, and the young girls
and Walter stood upon the deck, watching
their departure.
"I hope they may enjoy themselves, but I
shouldn't like to walk out in this drizzle" sighed
Grace. Then in a lower, livelier tone, " Mamma,
are you not proud of your husband? I think
he is very handsome, even in that unbecoming
waterproof coat."
"And I am decidedly of the opinion that
everything becomes him," returned Violet, with
a low, pleased laugh. " Well, mamma and you
girls, how shall we pass the morning? It really
seems to me that the saloon is more inviting
and comfortable at present than the deck."
The others agreed with her, and all went
below, where they found the two little ones
begging Grandma Rose for a story to while
away the time.
176 ELSIE'S
"Ah," she said, "here comes your Grandma
Elsie, who is far better than I am at that
business.
"Oh, yes!" cried little Elsie. "Grandma,
won't you please tell us now about things that
have happened at Montreal and Quebec?"
"Yes, dear; I promised you, and there will
be no better time than this for the telling of
the story," Mrs. Travilla answered pleasantly,
as she seated herself and took up her fancy
work, while the children drew their chairs to her
side, each young face full of eager expectancy.
CHAPTER XL
GRANDMA ELSIE took a moment to collect her
thoughts, then gave the little ones very much
the same story of the settlement and after-his-
tory of Montreal that Lucilla had heard from
their father earlier in the day. From that she
went on to give a similar account of Quebec.
"The city," she said, "is built upon a steep
promontory, where two rivers, the St. Law-
rence, on which we now are, and the St.
Charles meet. There was formerly an Indian
-village there called Stadacona. Jacques Car-
tier, the same person I have been telling you
about as the first white man who visited this
spot where Montreal now stands, discovered
that Indian village in the same year. But the
city of Quebec was not founded until 1608;
and not by Cartier, but by another man named
Champlain, who on the third day of July of
that year raised over it a white flag. Soon
afterward rude cottages were built, a few acres
of ground cleared, and one or two gardens were
planted."
177
178 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Is that all of it there is now, grandma ?*
asked Elsie.
"Oh, no, my child! there is a city with a
very strong fortress; there are colleges and
churches ; there is a building yard for vessels,
where thirty or forty are built every year.
Quebec has a very fine harbor, where many
vessels can ride at anchor at the same time,
and I have read that from fourteen hundred to
two thousand come in every year from the
ocean."
" Just to ride there, grandma?" asked Neddie,
with grave earnestness. Then he wondered
why grandma smiled at his query and every-
body else laughed.
"No, sonnie," Mrs. Travilla replied, "but to
trade. They bring goods to the people silk,
cotton, woolen; salt too, coal, and hardware.
And they carry away what the folks in Canada
have to sell, which is mostly timber."
"Did you say French folks live there, grand-
ma?" asked Elsie.
" Yes ; it was built by the French in the first
place, but taken from them by the English in
1759."
"That was before our Revolution, wasn't it,
"Yes; about sixteen years earlier."
"Please tell about it, grandma."
ON INLAND WATERS. 179
Grandma kindly complied.
" There was war at that time between England
and France," she said, "and, for that reason, war
between the English and French colonies of
America. The French built a strong fortress
on the island of Cape Breton, which is at the
mouth of this, the St. Lawrence River; they
began also to build forts along the lakes and
the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Fleets and
armies came over from Europe, and the English
and French colonists, on this side of the ocean,
formed armies and engaged Indians to help
them fight each other. The English attacked
the French fortress of Louisburgh on Cape
Breton Island, and took it. Then Wolfe, who
was in command, put his troops on board of
vessels, and went on up the river as far as the
island of Orleans, a few miles below Quebec.
There they built batteries for guns, intending
to fire upon Quebec, where was the French
general, Montcalm, with an army of 13,000
men; some of them regulars, the rest Cana-
dians and Indians.
"But I will not go into all the particulars,
as you two little ones could hardly understand
them well enough to be much interested."
"Oh, yes, grandma, please go on," exclaimed
Elsie.
"The English were unsuccessful at first, if
180 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
I remember right, mamma?" remarked Rosie
inquiringly.
"Yes," replied her mother. "It was nearly
night when their divisions joined, and the gren-
adiers were so impatient that they charged
madly upon the works of the French before
the other troops had time to form and be ready
to sustain them. As a natural consequence
they were driven back to the beach with severe
loss, where they sought shelter behind a
redoubt abandoned by the French.
"A storm was brewing, and the French kept
up a galling fire, until it burst upon their foes
with great fury. The tide from the ocean
came roaring up against the current of the
river with unusual strength, and the British
were obliged to retreat to their camp across
the Montmorency, to avoid being caught in the
raging waters and drowned. They had lost
180 killed and 650 wounded.
" Wolfe, who was not a strong, healthy man,
was so distressed over the calamity that he
became really ill. Of course he was much
fatigued, and that, joined to distress of mind,
brought on a fever and other illness that nearly
cost him his life. It was almost a month before
he was able to resume command.
"When sufficiently recovered to write a
letter, he sent an almost despairing one to Pitt,
ON INLAND WATERS. 181
but at its close said he would do his best.
Then he and Admiral Saunders contrived their
plan for scaling the Heights of Abraham, and
so getting possession of the elevated plateau at
the back of the city, where the fortifications
were weakest, the French engineers having
trusted for their defence to the precipices and
the river below.
"Montcalm and his men saw that the Eng-
lish camp was broken up, and that the troops
were conveved across to Point Levi, then some
i
distance up the river, by a part of their fleet,
while the rest of it remained behind to feign
an attack upon the intrenchment at Beauport.
Montcalm, though he saw these movements,
was at a loss to understand them ; so he remained
in his camp, while another officer was stationed
a little above the Plains of Abraham, to watch
that part of the English fleet that had sailed up
the river.
"At night the troops were all embarked in
flat boats and proceeded up the river with the
tide. The French saw them, and marched up
the shore to prevent them from landing.
Toward daylight the boats moved cautiously
down the river, with muffled oars, passing the
French without being perceived, and the troops
landed safely in a cove below. They were all
on shore by daylight.
182 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Then the light infantry scrambled tip the
precipice and dispersed a French guard
stationed there, while the rest of the army
climbed up a winding and steep ravine. Then
another division landed, and before sunrise
five thousand British troops were drawn up in
battle array on the Plains of Abraham, three
hundred feet above the St. Lawrence."
" How surprised the French must have been ! n
exclaimed Lucilla.
"Yes," said Mrs. Travilla, "the first intima-
tion Montcalm had of their intentions was the
sight of the English army drawn up there, on
what he had doubtless deemed those inacces-
sible heights. He at once perceived that this
exposed his garrison and the city to imminent
danger, and immediately marched his whole
army across the St. Charles to attack the
enemy.
" It was about ten o'clock when he got his
troops there and into battle line. He had two
field-pieces, while the English had but one;
only a light six-pounder which some sailors had
dragged up the ravine about eight o'clock that
morning.
"At that time the plains had no fences or
inclosures, and extended to the walls of the city
on the St. Louis side, their surface being dotted
over with bushes which furnished places of
ON INLAND WATERS. 183
concealment for the French and Indian marks-
men. I will not attempt to describe the rela-
tive positions of the two armies, which you
little ones would hardly understand. I will
only say that Wolfe placed himself on the
right, at the head of a regiment of grenadiers
who were burning to avenge their defeat at
the Montmorency, and Montcalm was on the
left of the French, at the head of his regiments.
" Wolfe ordered his men to load their pieces
with two bullets each and reserve their fire
until the French should be within forty yards
of them, an order which every man was care-
ful to obey.
"The English fired several rounds, then
charged furiously with their bayonets. Wolfe
was urging them on, when some Canadians
singled him out and fired, slightly wounding
him in the wrist. He wound his handkerchief
about it and still went on, cheering his men, but
quickly received another wound in the groin;
then another struck him in the breast, and he
fell to the ground mortally wounded. But he
seemed hardly to think of himself, only of his
troops and gaining the victory. * Support me;
let not my brave soldiers see me drop,' he said
to an officer near him. 'The day is ours keep
It. ' Then they carried him to the rear while
Lis troops were still charging. The officer on
184 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
whose shoulder he was leaning cried out, 'They
run, they run!' At that the light came back
into the dim eyes of the dying hero and he
asked, 'Who run?' 'The enemy, sir; they give
way everywhere,' replied the officer. 'What!
do they run already?' asked the feeble, dying
voice. 'Go to Colonel Preston and tell him to
march Webb's regiment immediately to the
bridge over the St. Charles, and cut off the
fugitives' retreat. Now, God be praised, I
die happy!' He spoke no more, but died, with
his sorrowing companions about him, just irv
the moment of victory. Montcalm too was
mortally wounded in that battle, and died th
next morning about five o'clock."
"What a pity!" exclaimed little Ned.
"What makes men fight so, grandma?"
" If there were no sin there would be no fight-
ing," Grandma Elsie replied. " There is none
in heaven; there all is peace and joy and
love."
"Is it bad men that fight, grandma?"
"Not quite always; sometimes a good mar^
has to fight to protect his wife and children^
or other helpless ones, from being injured by a
bad man. If a bad man were trying to hurt
your mamma, or one of your sisters, it would
be right for your papa to prevent him, even if
he had to hurt him a great deal in doing so."
ON INLAND WATERS. 185
"Oh, yes; and when I grow big I won't let
anybody hurt my dear mamma or sisters. I'll
help papa drive 'em away if they try to."
"Please, grandma, tell some more," entreated
Elsie.
"Yes, dear," said grandma. "The British
have kept Quebec ever since they took it that
time, and there was no more fighting there till
our Revolutionary war began some sixteen
years later : the 19th of April, 1775. In the fall
of that year troops were sent to Canada; some
under Ethan Allen, as you have already
learned, some under Montgomery, and others
commanded by Arnold.
"They, poor fellows, had dreadful times
pushing their way through the wilderness,
often suffering for lack of sufficient food and
raiment, braving storms and bitter cold. I
oannot tell you the whole sad story now, but
you can read it when you are older. Arnold
and his men reached Quebec first, but were
not strong enough to attack it, and the garrison
would not come out and fight them on the
plains. Then Arnold, inspecting his arms,
found that most of his cartridges were spoiled,
therefore he retreated to a place twenty miles
distant. There, on the 1st of December, he
was joined by Montgomery and his troops;
but very few of them were fit for fighting,
186 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
many being sick; also a good many had
deserted, so that the force was small indeed-
only about nine hundred men."
"What's desert, grandma, to run awa^
without leave?" asked Neddie.
"Yes," she replied; "and they generally
shoot a soldier for it."
" I think I won't be a soldier when I get big,"
said the little fellow reflectively; "'cause I
might get scared and run away and the other
fellows might catch me and shoot me; and
then papa and mamma would feel very sorry j
wouldn't they, grandma?"
"Yes, indeed! and so would a good many
other folks, grandma for one," she replied,
dropping her work to put an arm about him,
stroking his hair with the other hand, patting
his rosy cheek, and kissing him again and
again. " But we hope our little boy will make a
good and brave man, like his father, and never
play the coward by running away from danger-
ous dutv."
/
" Maxie, my big brother, wouldn't, grandma. "
"No, I feel very sure Max would fight for
the right and his dear native land."
" So do I," said Lucilla. " Max is very much
like our father in both looks and character;
though papa says Max has a better temper than
his. I never saw papa show a bad temper, but
ON INLAND WATERS. 187
he says he has one and that that's where I get
mine."
"Now, Lu, don't talk in that way about
yourself," said Grace. "I've hardly seen you
show any temper at all for years past. If you
got it from papa, you got the power of con-
trolling it too, from him, I think."
At that moment Walter came hurrying down
from the deck, whither he had gone shortly
before, his face full of joyous excitement.
"Folks," he cried, "do you know that it is
clearing off? The sun is out and the clouds
O
are retreating rapidly before it. Surely the
change will bring grandpa and the captain back
in haste, after the rest of us. So I think we
should better be making our preparations as
fast as possible."
"Why, my dear young brother," laughed
Rosie, "one would imagine our lives or for-
tunes, one or both, depended on our seeing the
sights of Montreal to-day."
"Very well, my wise sister, you can atay
behind, if you wish," laughed the lad; "but
I'm bound to make one of the exploring party.
And there ! they have come, for I hear Brother
Levis' voice on deck."
The words had scarcely left his lips when
Captain Raymond's quick, manly step was
heard coming down the companion-way; then
188 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
his pleasant voice, saying, "Everybody who
wants to see Montreal to-day must make haste
to don hat and coat or shawl, for the air will
be quite cool in driving."
"Oh, have you brought a carriage for us,
papa?" asked little Elsie.
"Yes," he replied; "we have three of what
they call caleches out here on the wharf.
They are pleasant vehicles to ride in, and the
three will hold us all very comfortably. We
will not want to stop anywhere for dinner,"
lie continued turning to Violet, "so 1 have
ordered a lunch put up for each cal&che."
"My dear, you think of everything," she
said, with an admiring affectionate look up into
his face. "We will be ready in ten minutes;
we need no preparations but what you have
advised."
CHAPTER
THE sun had already sen when out {fiends
returned to the Dolphin. They had greatly
enjoyed their drive and the views of the places
of interest visited, but were weary enough to be
glad to find themselves again seated upon the
deck of their floating home. The little ones
were given a simple meal and sent to their
berths, then the elder people sat down to a
more substantial one, over which they chatted
and laughed, discussing with much enjoyment
the sights of the day and the historical events
with which they were connected.
Then they talked of Quebec and upon what
parts of it they should bestow most atten-
tion, as they could tarry there for but a short
time.
"Of course we must visit the Heights of
Abraham, whatever else we neglect," remarked
Rosie.
"Yes," said Walter, "and Palace Gate,
Cape Diamond, and the citadel that crowns it.
I should like to see it, not only for the histori-
cal associations, but also because it is said to
189
190 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
be the most impregnable fortresa on the conti-
nent of America."
" And I, for the beautiful view it commands
of what is called the most magnificent scenery
on this continent, if not in the world," added
Violet.
"It must be very large," remarked Lucilla,
" for I remember reading that, with its ravelins,
it covers about forty acres. We will go to
see it, papa, will we not?"
"I think so; it would hardly do to visit
Quebec and neglect so important a place."
"It was under Cape Diamond that Mont-
gomery fell, if I remember right," remarked
Evelyn Leland.
"Yes," replied the captain; "on the 31st of
December, 1775. At two o'clock on that morn-
ing his troops paraded in three divisions; a
part at Holland House under the direct com-
mand of Montgomery. That division, with
Montgomery at the head, passed down from the
Plains of Abraham to Wolf's Cove, then along
the margin of the river under Cape Diamond.
It was a dark, stormy morning, the snow fall-
ing fast and a fierce wind piling it in heaps-
frightful drifts. Through that darkness and
storm Montgomery led his men to the narrowest
point under the cape, where, on the top of the
precipice, the enemy had planted a battery of
ON INLAND WATERS.
three-pounders. The post was in charge of a
Canadian with thirty-eight militiamen, besides
nine British seamen under the master of a trans-
port, to work the guns. These men were awake
and on the watch, perfectly silent; each artil-
leryman with a lighted match in his hand.
Probably from their silence Montgomery
thought they were asleep. But they were
waiting and listening.
"Barnsfare could see faintly through the dim
light and drifting snow, the movements of the
Americans, and when they drew near, and Mont-
gomery called out to his troops, 'Men of New
York, you will not fear to follow where your
general leads : March on!' rushing, as he spoke,
over heaps of snow and ice to charge the
battery. Barnsfare heard, gave his men the
word, and they sent a discharge of grape-shot,
sweeping down the American ranks with
terrible effect.
"Montgomery, his aid, Major M'Phunn,
Captain Cheesman, and several privates were
killed, and the rest, appalled at the disaster
and the death of their brave commander, fled
back to Wolf's Cove."
"How dreadful!" sighed Grace. "Mont-
gomery's death alone was a great loss to our
country, was it not, papa?"
"It was indeed! throughout the whole
192 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
country his death was felt to be a great
calamity, and even in England, upon the floor
of Parliament, his praises were sounded by
Burke, Chatham, and Barre."
"Was he buried there in Canada?" she
asked.
"Yes; within the wall tnat surrounded a
powder magazine, near the ramparts on St.
Louis Street. There his body remained for
forty -two years, when it was removed to New
York and reinterred near the monument erected
to his memory by the United States.
"While all this was going on at Cape
Diamond, Arnold and his division were passing
along the St. Charles. The snow was worse
drifted there than on the St. Lawrence; but
he and his men pressed on till they reached a
narrow street, where, under a high jutting
rock, the enemy had a two-gun picketed battery
well manned. Like Montgomery he headed his
men, leading Lamb's artillery to the attack,
and while doing so received a very bad wound
in the knee. He had to be carried to the
general hospital, and there heard the sad news
of Montgomery's death.
"Morgan now took command of Arnold's
division, and for more than an hour the Ameri-
cans withstood the storm of musket balls and
grape-shot at the first barrier, and finally carried
ON INLAND WATERS. 193
it, the deadly aim of the riflemen causing great
consternation among the ranks of the British
and Canadians. Then they rushed on to the
second, where they fought fiercely for three
hours, many being killed on both sides.
"Our men finally captured the barrier, and
were preparing to rush into the town, when
Carleton sent a large detachment from his gar-
rison, through Palace Gate, to attack them in
the rear. He and his men had heard of the
death of Montgomery and the retreat of his
detachment, which inspired them with renewed
courage. The Palace Gate was thrown open
suddenly and the troops rushed out, surprising
Captain Dearborn and some provincials sta-
tioned there, and they were taken prisoners.
"Morgan heard of that disaster and of the
death of Montgomery while he and his men
were pressing on vigorously into the town;
also that the enemy was advancing on his rear.
He saw that further efforts were useless, as he
was surrounded by the foe on all sides, and he
and his men surrendered themselves prisoners
of war."
"The whole American army was not taken,
if I remember right, papa?" said Grace inter-
rogatively.
"No," replied her father, "the rest of the
division retreated to their camp, leaving
194 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
behind a field-piece and some mortars. Colonel
Arnold took command of what was left of the
patriot army and was promoted to the rank
of brigadier-general. He did not feel safe so
near the city, so retired about three miles
from it and intrenched himself as well as cir-
cumstances would permit. He remained there
until the 1st of April, but accomplished nothing
of any consequence. General Thomas, who
was appointed to succeed Montgomery, arrived
early in May; but the British received large
reinforcemerts and our men were driven out of
Canada."
"Perhaps it was just as well," remarked
Lucilla, in a tone of indifference, "our country
is large enough, and I, for one, don't covet
Canada."
"I think there are very few Americans, if
any, who do," returned her father with a
slightly amused smile. "Our country is large
enough, and while we like the Canadians as
friends and neighbors, we have no wish to
change their political relations, or to rob
England of her colonies."
"I think you are quite correct about that
matter, captain," said Mr. Dinsmore. "I have
yet to hear from any one of our people an
txpression of a desire to see Canada, or any
-part of British America, incorporated into our
ON INLA17D WATERS. 195
Union. We have a great* country and are fully-
satisfied with its size."
"' Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,' "
quoted Walter, "and we need to be careful
to exercise that, don't we, grandpa?"
"Certainly we do," was the reply, "toward
foes within and foes without; and that espe-
cially by diffusing knowledge and teaching
Gospel truth."
With that they withdrew from the table and
gathered upon the deck. The yacht was mov-
ing down the river, but througfe the gathering
gloom little could be seen of it or its shores,
and wearied with the day's jaunt, all presently
retired to their staterooms.
CHAPTER XIII.
the Dolphin's passengers awoke the
xt morning they found she had reached
Quebec and was lying quietly at the wharf
there. Anxious to view all places of historic
interest in and about the city and to be again
^n their eastward way, they set out as promptly
.is they conveniently could after leaving the
breakfast table.
There were so many points of interest, and
at some they tarried so long, that the sun had
set and shadows were already creeping over
land and water as they regained the Dolphin*s
deck.
Ned was fast asleep in his father's arms,
little Elsie hardly able to keep her eyes open,
and they were taken at once to their stateroom
by their parents, the others hurrying to theirs
to make due preparation for a suitable appear-
ance at the supper table.
The saloon through which they passed was
but dimly lighted as yet, and no one noticed a
lady and gentleman sitting side by side in a
far corner where the shadows were deepest.
196
ON INLAND WATERS. 197
As the last stateroom door closed upon its
occupants, the gentleman leaned down over the
lady, saying in a tone scarcely above a whisper,
"Ah ha, ah ha, um h'm! they are all safe in
their rooms for the present, and now let us go
upon deck while we may unperceived. Ray-
mond will be sure to be up there presently, if
none o' the rest."
The lady returned a silent assent, both rose,
crossed the room noiselessly, ascended the
cabin stairway, and in another minute were
seated side by side in the shadow of the pilot
house, the man at the wheel greeting them with
a quiet smile of amusement.
"They didn't see you, sir?" he asked in an
undertone.
"No. And you kept our counsel?"
"An easy thing to do under the circum-
stances, as the captain asked no question, but
passed quickly on down into the cabin. But
I think, sir, you'd best let him know you're
here pretty soon, or the yacht may be starting
with you and the lady on it, and you haven't
any baggage aboard."
"That's true; but the captain shall know of
our presence and give us time to land before
he weighs anchor."
"And here he comes now, sir," as at that
moment Captain Raymond's step and voice
198 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
were heard near the companion-way. " There,
do you hear, sir? he's giving the order to
weigh anchor and proceed down the river."
"Hallo, there, cap'in! jest you wait a bit,
sir. There's a couple o' stowaways aboard and
I'd advise ye to get rid o' them afore ye start,"
called a voice that seemed to come from some
part of the vessel in the captain's rear.
He turned quickly, asking, "And you are
one of them?"
"Well, sir, that's neither here nor there,"
returned the voice; "but if I was in your
place, I'd put 'em off afore starting."
"But perhaps the poor fellows need some
help," returned the captain. "Tell them to
show themselves and I'll not be hard upon
them."
" Well, now," exclaimed the invisible speaker,
"I must say you're a good, kind-hearted sort
o' man, spite o' owning this grand yacht and a
lot o' money, so I'll call 'em. Halloo, here,
mates, don't be afeard to show yerselves and I
reckon ye'll git some grub if nuthin' else."
"Wait a little till this matter is settled,"
Captain Raymond said, reversing his order
about the anchor, then asked, "Have any
strangers been allowed to board the yacht dur-
ing my absence?" addressing his query to the
man at the helm.
ON INLAND WATERS. 199
"Well, no, sir; not to say strangers," an-
swered the man, hesitatingly and with a slight
laugh.
" Ah ! some old friends, though ; just as I sus-
pected," and with the words Captain Raymond
glanced searchingly about, then with a quick
step drew near the hiding place of the stow-
aways.
"Ah, cousins, I see my guess was not wide
of the mark," he said, with his good-humored
laugh and giving a hand to each. "You are
as welcome as sunlight in the morning and
shall have all the 'grub' you can stow away.
But why not send for your baggage and go on
home with us? You have seen all the sights of
Quebec, have you not?"
"About all, captain," replied Mr. Lilburn,
" and we thank you heartily for your very kind
invitation. But though travel on the Dolphin,
especially in such good company, is most de-
lightful, we would crowd you too much, I fear."
"Yes," said Annis, "and it would be very
selfish to give ourselves so much pleasure at
the cost of such inconvenience to our kind
friends our dear relatives. But seeing the
Dolphin lying here, we felt that we could not
deny ourselves the great pleasure of a peep at
you all."
" The voyage is not likely to be a long one,
200 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
or the crowding worth mentioning," returned
Captain Raymond in his most cordial tone;
" and the slight inconvenience will be paid for
over and over again by the pleasure of your
company."
"It is most kind in you to say so, captain,"
said Annis, with a pleased look, " but are you
quite sure the others would be equally willing
to endure the inconvenience?"
"I haven't a doubt of it," he replied emphat-
ically, "and I know of nothing that could
happen just now that would afford our dear
mother more pleasure; for I have often heard
her speak of you as her very dear friend and
cousin, and I know she has missed you sadly
since you left us for your bridal trip. If you
have seen all you care to of the city, do let me
send at once for your baggage and give her
and the rest the pleasant surprise of finding you
presently at the supper table."
"Thank you very much," she said, smiling
up into his pleasant face; "you don't know
how tempting your kind offer is. We have
seen all we care to of this interesting old city
and were intending to leave it to-night;
but "
"Ah, my dear cousin, just omit the objec-
tions," interrupted Captain Raymond laugh-
ingly, "give me the address and let me send at
ON INLAND WATERS. 201
once for your trunks. Excuse my rudeness in
not waiting to hear all you could say against
my plan, but it is growing late and I can hear
it all afterward if you care to have me do so.
Ah, here comes mother and ray wife now," he
added, as the two stepped upon the deck at that
moment.
Then moving quickly toward them, "I have
something to show you, mother and Yi," he
said; "a couple of uncommonly interesting
stowaways, about the disposal of whom I
should like to have your advice."
"Stowaways?" repeated Violet, in accents
of surprise. "Do they think we are about to
cross the ocean?"
"Suppose you come and have a little talk
with them," said her husband, leading the way
toward the intruders, the ladies following close
in his rear.
"Oh, Cousins Annis and Ronald! How
delightful!" both exclaimed at sight of the
intruders, Vi adding in gleeful tones, "We'll
stow you away safely and keep you as long as
possible."
Then, as Annis began repeating her objec-
tion on the score of the inevitable crowding,
"Oh, that will only be fun," she said. "I am
not urging you out of politeness, but because I
really want your and Cousin Ronald's pleasant
202 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
company, and know that all the rest will be
delighted to have it."
" Certainly they will," added Grandma Elsie.
"And you surely cannot be so unkind, Annis
dear, as to refuse us that pleasure."
"Ah, Annis, my bonny bride, with such
assurances we need not hesitate," laughed Mr.
Lilburn. "Let us accept the kind invitation
and do our best to add to the pleasure of our
generous-hearted entertainers."
" You can hardly refuse to follow such good
advice coming from such a source, Annis," said
Violet, while Captain Raymond again inquired
of Mr. Lilburn where he should send for the
trunks.
The requested information was given, a mes-
senger at once despatched for the luggage, and,
as the summons to the supper table came at the
same moment, all the company upon the deck at
once descended the companion-way and met
the remainder of the family party at the table.
The bride and groom had no reason to complain
of their reception, for everyone seemed de-
lighted to see them.
Fatigue was forgotten in the enjoyment of
each other's society, the toothsome viands and
the interest of comparing notes as to their
experiences all they had seen, heard, and done
since the parting of a few days before, when
ON INLAND WATERS. 203
the bride and groom left the Dolphin for the
railroad train at Michigan City.
The luggage had arrived and the vessel was
in motion down the river some time before
they left the table.
" You will hardly make another stop in this
part of Her Majesty's dominions, captain, but
go directly home, I presume?" remarked Mr. Lil-
burn inquiringly, at a pause in the conversation.
"Yes and no," returned Captain Raymond in
playful tones, "I hardly expect to stop again
until we reach Narragansett Bay; but there
we expect to visit Newport, and Paradise
Valley, a few miles out of it, on the same
island. We have some cousins summering
there now, who are most urgent with us to come
and take temporary possession of a vacant
cottage very near the one occupied by them ;
and we have decided to do so, should nothing
interfere. And now, I hope you and Cousin
Annis will decide to go there with us, and
afterward return home with us in the Dolphin."
As soon as the captain had ceased speaking,
Mrs. Travilla and Violet, the young people
also, joined their urgent solicitations to his,
and as Annis seemed much pleased with the
idea, and Mr. Lilburn himself had really no
objection, it was presently decided that they
would accept the invitation.
204 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
They now left the table and gathered upon
the deck for a time ; bnt as there was no moon
that night little could be seen of the country
through which they were passing, and all being
somewhat weary with the exertions of the day,
they presently held their regular evening
service of prayer, praise, and reading of the
Scriptures, then bade an affectionate good-
night and retired to rest.
CHAPTER XIV.
OTTB friends had a delightful voyage througu
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, down the coasts of
New Brunswick, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island as far as Newport on Narragan-
sett Bay. They left the yacht lying in the
harbor there for the present, and taking hired
carriages drove out to the cottages of which
their cousin, Mrs. Embury, had written, where
they found her and Mr. Embury, with their
children, also Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Keith, forming
a large and interesting family party, and filling
one of the cottages; but the other was still
vacant, and large enough to accommodate very
conveniently the entire party from the Dol-
phin.
Their welcome was of the warmest. They
found their new temporary abode comfortably,
though not elegantly, furnished, open and well
aired; for, though their friends had been
uncertain of the exact time of their arrival,
they had expected them daily and made ready,
as far as possible, for their comfort and enjoy-
ment.
805
206 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
" Ah, if we had only known just when you
would get here, your supper should have been
ready," said Isadore, when greetings had been
exchanged and the excitement of the arrival
had calmed down somewhat. " But I will have
it on the table as soon as possible. I am house-
keeper this week. Molly and I take the posi-
tion week about, each trying to outdo the other
in catering for the united family."
"Oh, thank you! but we had supper on the
yacht just before leaving her," said Violet.
"Besides, we consider ourselves at home and do
not expect or wish to be treated as company."
"And we have brought a supply of pro-
visions of various kinds, which we hope you
may be willing to share with us," said the
captain.
" That was very kind and thoughtful in you,
cousin captain," returned Isadore with a pleased
look, " and I hardly think any of us will feel
inclined to reject your dainties; though we
have fared very well indeed since coming
here."
"Please accept my thanks also, and those
of our husbands and children," said Molly.
"Aunt Rose and Cousin Elsie, please sit down
here with the gentlemen and let us younger
ones attend to the unpacking and arranging of
the contents of your trunks. If you will trust
ON INLAND WATERS. 207
us, I can assure you we shall enjoy doing it.
At least I am sure I shall."
"That is a kind offer, Molly," said Mrs.
Travilla, " but we have done nothing to-day to
tire us and I, for one, am not in the least
fatigued ; so ought not to indulge my love of
ease at your expense."
" Your love of ease, Cousin Elsie !" laughed
Molly. "I never discovered that you had
any."
"No; but she has a daughter who is both
able and willing to attend to the duty in ques-
tion," said Rosie Travilla. "So sit you down,
mother dear, and enjoy this pleasant company,
while we younger folks unpack and find places
for your goods and chattels."
"Yes, do, mother," said Captain Raymond,
bringing forward an easy chair for her.
"Can't you trust me to oversee and assist these
younger folks? If not we will seat you in state
in some spot convenient for you to do that part
in person."
"Thanks, captain," she returned with a smile
of amusement "as commanding and giving
directions has been your business for so many
years, I think you may ba trusted to attend to
the matter even without my added super-
vision."
" Yes, come along, sir>" said Rosie, leading
208 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
the way, "but please to remember that you
and we girls are not in the schoolroom."
" I shall endeavor to keep that fact in mind,
my sage young sister," he said in return.
"But it won't make any difference in your
authority over your own daughters, I am happy
to know, papa," Lucilla said, with a loving,
smiling look up into his face.
"No; they are mine and under my orders
always and under all circumstances," he re-
turned ; " and I think would not have it other
wise if they might."
"Indeed we would not," said Grace, who,
as usual, was near her father and sister.
"May I help, papa?"
"Well, Gracie, I think you are not really
needed, and would enjoy yourself better out
yonder on the porches or on the grass with your
little brother and sister and the others, telling
them stories, singing them little songs or
playing games with them."
"Yes; do try that, Gracie, and I shall be
much obliged," Violet said, joining them at
the moment. " I have just left them with the
promise to ask it of you."
Grace acquiesced, went back at once, and
for the next half hour devoted herself to the
amusement of the children, to their great satis*
faction and enjoyment.
ON INLAND WATERS. 209
"And you, Madam Raymond, would do well
to go back to the society of your older friends
and exercise your many gifts for their enter-
tainment," remarked the captain, speaking in
playful tones to his young wife, as Grace
disappeared.
" No, my dear, I prefer to exercise them for
yours, if you will permit it," she returned.
"Ah, you fear to trust me to do the work
without the supervision of my capable young
wife?" he returned laughingly.
" Possibly it may be done a trifle better, or,
at least, more to my mind, with that," she
retorted, with becoming gravity. "At all
events, I shall know better where to look for
what I want, so that, in the end, I shall save
myself trouble."
"Ah, then, I will make no further objection,
but freely acknowledge that the work will be
twice as enjoyable if done under my young
wife's supervision."
"Thank you, sir," laughed Violet; "How
glad I am now that I insisted on coming to
share it. As our stay is likely to be so short, I
think, do not you, it will be best to unpack
only such things as we are pretty sure to want
while here?"
" Very well, my dear ; as concerns that matter,
you have only to give your orders and we them
210 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
carried out; while I do likewise in regard to
another; namely, that all the manual labor is to
be left to other hands than yours."
"Oh, Captain Raymond, how you do spoil
me!" laughed Violet. "Who shall say that
you won't be sorry for it one of these days, and
wish you had encouraged me to be industrious
and energetic."
"I am willing to take the risk," he said,
placing a chair for her.
"No, I am not ready to sit down yet," she
said. " We must first settle who are to be the
occupants of each room ; and Cousin Annis and
Ronald should have the first choice."
" Decidedly they must have of the best ; yet,
I think it may be the better plan for us to
choose for them, or they will not take the best.
There are three comfortable rooms on this first
floor. Shall we not assign their use to your
mother, grandparents, and the Lilburn
cousins?"
"By all means," returned Violet. "Then
Rosie will share with mamma, Evelyn and our
two girls take one of the third story rooms, you
and I and our little ones another, and Walter
the remaining one. He, you know, must leave
us in a few days for college. Oh, the house
will accommodate us all very nicely !"
"So I think," he returned, leading the way
ON INLAND WATERS. 211
to the third story; "and now I insist on your
having the first choice of the rooms on this
floor."
Violet hesitated, glancing inquiringly at
Evelyn and Lucilla, who had followed them up
the stairway.
" Yes, Cousin Vi, that is only right, and what
we would prefer to have you do," said Evelyn.
"I see hardly any choice; they all look pleas-
ant," added Lucilla, "and if there is a difference,
of course, we would all prefer that you and papa
should have the best."
Violet still seemed to hesitate, and Walter,
who had come up in the rear of the others, said,
" I see I'll have to decide this knotty question.
My big brother, the captain, being the largest,
oldest, best, and most distinguished of this
party, besides having a better half and two chil-
dren to share with him, should be assigned the
largest room; the three young ladies should
take the next in size, and I 'lone and lorn'
bachelor of sixteen will occupy the smallest,
which is quite large enough and good enough
for me. So there the knotty question is
solved."
"Many thanks for your wise decision, my
dear young bachelor brother," laughed Violet.
"And now, if you and your big brother will see
to the bringing up of the trunks, I think we wilJ
212 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
soon make an end of unpacking and arranging
their contents, and be ready to join the pleasant
company on the porches."
" Yes, I think we need not do much of that
work to-night," said her husband; "it is now
almost time to get our little ones to bed, and
to-morrow will give us another and better op-
portunity."
With that he and Walter hastened down the
stairway, and not many minutes later all were
ready to rejoin the friends and relatives sitting
at ease on the porches below.
Most of the evening was passed in conversa-
tipn, for they found a great deal to hear and to
tell of the scenes they had visited, and occur-
rences in the family connection since last they
had been together.
They had been talking of Viamede, Mrs.
Travilla asking some questions of Mr. Cyril
Keith about the condition of things there, of
which he was able to render a very favorable
report,* in which Mr. Lilburn, among others,
seemed to be much interested.
" You visited Viamede some time ago, I re-
member, sir?" remarked Cyril, turning to him.
"Yes; some few years ago, and found it a
lovely place a sort of earthly paradise," re-
turned the old gentleman, adding, with a look
of amusement, " I am pleased to perceive that
ON INLAND WATERS. 213
you have not forgotten me entirely, though we
were not, at that time, related by marriage as
we are now. I have no objection in the world
to being called uncle, even by a man of your
age, seeing you are own nephew to my bonny
young wife."
Annis laughed, saying with a mirthful look,
"Hardly young to anyone but yourself, my
dear; only a trifle younger than my dear friend
and cousin Elsie, who is grandmother to quite
a number of fine children."
"But still almost youthful in appearance,
auntie, dear," said Cyril, giving Mrs. Travilla
a look of heart-felt affection. Then turning to
Mr. Lilburn, "I shall avail myself in the future
of the privilege you have accorded me, Uncle
Ronald," he said. "It is a pleasant name to
speak, and a dear old gentleman who gives me
the privilege of so addressing him."
" Couldn't you give us all the same privilege,
sir?" asked Mr. Embury. "My wife is own
cousin to your new niece, Mrs. Isadore Keith
I think, too, that she is the bright, attractive
sort of woman anybody might be proud to
claim kin with and we would all feel just so
about claiming it with you. Besides that, Uncle
Ronald is a good, agreeable, handy name to
use and to hear."
"Ah ha! ah ha! um h'm! so I think myself;
214 ELSIE'S JOUftNEY
also that this is a handy company to own as
nieces and nephews. But what say you,
Annis, my bonny bride?" turning to her, with
a look that spoke proud ownership.
" That I am entirely willing you should be
uncle and I aunt to the whole crowd of good
people here, if they desire it," Annis
answered, with a look of amusement. " It will
not make us really any older in feeling or
appearance. And I am quite accustomed to
having nieces and nephews not very many
years younger than myself."
" And have not found it a nearly unendurable
trial, I hope, Aunt Annis?" Cyril said inquir-
ingly.
"No; quite the contrary," she answered.
"But, to change the subject; there is a good
deal that is interesting to be seen about here,
is there not?"
"Yes, indeed! This is Middletown; it was
formerly a part of Newport, and known in
those times as 'ye woods.' It has an area of
twelve and a half square miles. There are
five schoolhouses, three chur.ches, and a town
hall."
" Why, I thought it was country !" exclaimed
Rosie. "As we drove along I noticed little
groups of houses here and there, but there
seemed to be farms, orchards, and fields; also
ON INLAND WATERS. 215
a good many rocky -looking hills; some that
didn't seem to be cultivated at all."
" Yet, there is so much beauty that it seems
to me worthy of its name Paradise Valley,"
remarked her mother.
"I think so," said Cyril, "and I expect to
enjoy taking you all to its various places of
interest Purgatory Rocks, Sachuest and
Easton's Beaches, Hanging Rocks, and the
site of the former residence of Bishop
Berkeley."
"Who was he?" asked Grace.
"A clergyman, born in Ireland, educated in
England ; a learned man and author of a number
of books; a good Christian man too; one of
whose projects was the founding of a college
in the Bermudas for the training of ministers
to supply churches and teach Christianity to
the savages of America. The English govern-
ment was to supply the means, but failed to do
so, and Berkeley came on here to Newport in
January, 1729, bought a farm, built a small
house upon it, and there lived and studied,
preaching occasionally, while waiting for the
performance of the promise of the English
government. He waited about three years;
then, convinced that the promise would never
be kept, went back to England."
"And he left the income of his property
216 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
here to be used in educating students of Yale
College, did he not?" asked Violet.
"Yes; gave books too a valuable collection
donated by himself and friends and most of
the volumes are still there. He had a share in
the formation of Redwood Library here in
Newport, also. He was both a very good and
very distinguished man."
"Did he name this Paradise Valley?" asked
Grace.
" No, I have been told it was named by Mr.
Isaac Barker, who owned a large part, if not
all of it, in Revolutionary days. By the way,
his descendants still live here, one of them in
the very house owned and occupied by him at
that time."
"Oh, yes," said Molly; "we must take you
to see that house, so interesting because a relic
of the Revolution, and the dear old lady who is
now its mistress. I know you will be much in-
terested in her, Cousin Elsie, and all she can tell
of events here in this valley during that war."
" I shall be glad to call to see her, if you are
quite sure she will not deem it an intrusion,"
replied Mrs. Travilla.
"No, I am sure she will not; she is very kind
and hospitable, and seems to really enjoy telling
the story of those times to one who shows a
deep interest in it."
ON INLAND WATERS. 217
"As we all would do," said Mr. Dinsmore,
glancing at his watch as he spoke. "But it is
growing late now. Shall we not have our
evening worship together and then retire to
rest? Cousin Cyril, as you are a minister, the
rest only laymen, suppose you lead our devo-
tions."
CHAPTER XV.
As they expected to make their stay upon
the island but short, and wished to see every
interesting spot, all were up and about early
the next morning.
Naturally the history of the State, and par-
ticularly of the island upon which they were,
was the principal topic of conversation at the
breakfast table. Walter began it.
" If my memory serves me right, it was some-
where about here that General Nathaniel Greene
bad his quarters in 1778."
"Yes," replied Captain Raymond, "on a
farm owned by Colonel Richard K. Randolph."
"Why, I thought Greene's fighting was done
in other parts of the country !" said Rosie.
"Most of it was," replied the captain, "but
being a Rhode Island man he desired to take a
part in the attack on the British, who had pos-
session of Newport at that time. But I think
you all know the story the failure of the
French troops to take the part expected of
them, and to do the damage to the British
vessels coming in from New York which they
218
ON INLAND WATERS. 219
essayed to do; then the great storm which
damaged the vessels, both of the French and
English; and, soon after, the sailing of the
French for Boston, leaving the Americans to
meet the British alone.
" Then the battle was fought on Quaker Hill,
after which, though not defeated, the Ameri-
cans, hearing of the approach of Howe with
large reinforcements for the British, retreated
from the island to the mainland, in good order
and without the loss of a man."
"Did the British go away too, papa?" asked
Elsie.
"Not till the fall of the next year," he re-
plied. " They had done a vast amount of mis-
chief, and desolated the island; they had cut
down the groves of forest trees and many of the
orchards, for fuel and military purposes ; they
had torn up the meadows, destroyed gardens
and ruined farms. So hard had they made life
upon the island that many, it is said more than
half the people, had left the island; wharves
were deserted, commerce was destroyed, and
trade abandoned. In December of 1778, the
last winter that they were there, there was a
fearful storm a heavy fall of snow and cold
so intense that many of the Hessians perished,
frozen to death. Accounts say that more
than fifty people, mostly soldiers, lost their
\
220 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
lives on that fearful night, and it was long
known as the Hessian storm. The poor fellows
suffered very much that winter, for, after a
little, rations were cut down to one-half of bread,
made of rice and oatmeal mixed, the other half
of rice. And fuel was so scarce that they must
have suffered much from the cold ; to supply it
old houses were destroyed, old wharves torn to
pieces. Old empty houses were used as bar-
racks, and troops were quartered upon the
people still living in others. The State-house
was used as a hospital and some of the churches
were turned into riding-schools.
"General Prescott had his quarters in the
Bannister House, and it is said that his spacious
sidewalk in front was made of stepstones taken
from private houses, and the whole of the south
flight of steps from those belonging to the
State-house."
" I don't see in what respect he was any better
than a thief and a robber !" cried Lucilla indig-
nantly.
"No, nor do I," said her father; "but we
must remember that some of the British officers
were a very different kind of men and would
not have at all approved of his doings. Pres-
cott, as we all know, was a great coward, and
cowardice and cruelty are apt to go together."
" Our Washington was very, very brave and
ON INLAND WATEBS. 221
never at all cruel/' remarked little Elsie.
"Papa, "was he ever here?"
"He was in Newport more than once. His
last visit was paid while he was President of
these United States in August, 1V90. He was
escorted to the Brenton House, the principal
hotel of the place ; a dinner was given him in
the representative chamber of the State-house,
at which thirteen regular toasts were drunk,
Washington giving one 'The town of New-
port. ' He left before the rest of the company,
and then Judge Marchant gave the toast, 'The
man we love.'
"Oh, I like that!" said the little girl, her
eyes sparkling. "I think everybody must love
Washington everybody but the British."
"And even some of the British have admired
him very much," said her father, smiling at her
enthusiasm.
"And given him high praise," added Walter.
"I for one am proud of being his countryman."
All had now finished their breakfast, and
leaving the table they repaired to the adjoin-
ing cottage, exchanged greetings with its occu-
pants, then together they held their morning
service, after which they arranged their plans
for the day.
" As this is Saturday and I leave for Prince-
ton on Tuesday next, I have only to-day and
222 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
Monday for looking about and seeing places
of interest in this neighborhood," remarked
Walter.
"How and where do you want to go?" asked
Mr. Embury.
" Down to the beaches, to all the places con-
Dected with the doings of Bishop Berkeley
and the Revolution, all about Paradise Valley,
and to look at Purgatory; but not to get into
it," replied the lad, concluding with a slight
laugh.
"Do you want company or prefer to go
alone?" was the next query, to which Walter
replied, "I can go alone, I suppose, but I should
prefer good company if it is to be had."
" Would mine answer that description?"
"Yes, indeed, sir! but, I daresay, you have
seen all the places already and perhaps might be
only bored by being asked to repeat your visit."
"Quite a mistake, my young friend; they
are worth looking at time and again."
"I should think so," remarked the captain.
" Suppose we make up a party of such of our
members as would enjoy a pretty long stroll,
go down through this valley to the beach
yonder, visit Purgatory Rocks and as many
other of the places of interest as we may feel
inclined to see to-day and have time and
strength to visit."
ON INLAND WATERS. 223
"I approve of your plan," said Molly. "I
was thinking it would be best to defer our
intended visit to that dear old lady in the
Revolutionary house till Monday, as Saturday
is apt to be a busy one with housekeepers."
"Yes," said Mrs. Dinsmore, "I think it will
be quite enough to venture an intrusion upon
her at the most convenient time for her that
we can select."
"A real favor for her to permit it at any
time," added Grandma Elsie.
They were gathered on the porch. Captain
Raymond now rose and looking down toward
the water said, "Ah, yonder is the Dolphin;
according to my order of yesterday she has
been brought here to afford a sail along the
coast of the island to any who may desire it."
"Oh, how good and kind in you, captain!"
exclaimed Mrs. Keith. "I for one should be
delighted to go."
"All can sail who wish," said the captain.
'The Dolphin has day accommodations for
even a larger company than this, and of course
we shall return long before night."
As he concluded, he looked at Mrs. Dins-
more as if expecting her to speak first, and as
she was the eldest lady in the company she did
so, saying: "I for one have been so long on
the water that I feel a strong inclination to
224 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
stroll down to the beach; though I have no
doubt that the sail will be very enjoyable."
"How would it do to take the stroll to the
nearest point to where the yacht is lying, and
then continue your walk, or go aboard the
vessel, as you feel inclined?" asked the captain.
"Oh, nicely! I think," she returned; "espe-
cially if some of the others would like to join
me in so doing."
"I should," "And I," "And I," cried
several voices, one of them being Grandma
Elsie's, and another Violet's; while at the
same time nearly every one of the children was
asking permission to go along.
"Yes, yes! let them all go," said the captain.
" A walk to the beach down yonder will not be
too long for any one of them, I think, and when
we get there each one of our party can decide
whether to continue the stroll or board the
yacht."
CHAPTER XVI.
"I THINK we will have to divide our forces,"
said Mr. Embury, when, after preliminary
preparations and arrangements, all were ready
to- set out for the beach and the yacht, "for
there are so many of us that we will astonish
the natives and they will probably be asking
the meaning and object of the procession."
"Well, my dear, what of what?" queried
his wife gayly. "It will give them an inter-
esting subject of inquiry and conversation."
"Very well, my Molly; if you like to be
talked about, I have no further objection to
make," was his cheerful response.
"There are a good many of us," remarked
the captain, glancing about, "actually two
dozen, counting all big and little, old and
young."
"And a very respectable-looking crowd it
is," remarked Violet. "I'm not in the least
ashamed of anyone in it. Yet it might be
well to break up into several smaller parties,
by the way of guarding against alarming our
good neighbors, or making all the grown up
225
226 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
ones keep to the slow pace of the very little
folks. Ah, I see Evelyn, Rosie and Walter,
Lu and Grace, are already on the wing."
"Yes," said the captain; "they have just
started in response to a motion from me to
move on. They will reach the beach probably
some minutes ahead of us, but can be trusted
not to get into any danger or mischief."
"Surely," laughed Violet. "Mamma, shall
you and I walk together?"
"While I follow with the children," added
the captain. "I see your grandpa and his wife
are moving on ahead of us."
"Cousin Ronald should go next with his
bonny bride, while we of this cottage bring up
the rear with our children," said Molly.
"Putting a small space between to avoid
being mistaken for a procession," added Mrs.
Keith.
"Bound for Purgatory; but none of us to
get inside, I trust," said Mr. Embury. " I hope
the young folks won't attempt to climb up
those rocks till we older ones get there to look
after them."
"No, I think we'll find them on the beach,"
said the captain. "I bade mine wait there for
me, and I can say for mine, at least, that they
love their father well enough to follow his
directions carefully."
ON INLAND WATERS. 227
"That is very true," said Grandma Elsie;
"and equally true with regard to the care with
which my Rosie and Walter conform to
mine.'
"And no wonder, mamma and Levis," said
Violet, " for you are both so reasonable in your
commands and prohibitions, so kind and affec-
tionate, that it would take a very hard-hearted
and stubborn nature to rebel against your
authority."
"Ah ha! ah ha! um h'm! that's exactly my
opinion," said Mr. Lilburn, looking round upon
them with a smile. "I have noticed many
times, with sincere admiration, the admirable
manner in which the children of these families
are trained. I only wish I'd been favored with
such examples before I went at the business
myself."
"I see no reason why you should, Cousin
Ronald," returned the captain, "for the only
one of your offspring with whom I am ac-
quainted, seems to me to be all a father could
ask or wish."
"Ah ha! um h'm! I'll no deny that my
Hugh is as fine a lad as could be found in a
day's travel; and Malcolm not a whit behind
him; but neither will I deny that the credit
belongs more to the native goodness o' the lada
than to their father's training."
228 ELSIE'S JOTTENEY
It was a fine breezy morning, with a delicious
coolness in the air, and all keenly enjoyed the
walk to the beach. They spent a few moments
there, then climbed the rocks and passed along
the summit till they reached the deep fissure
called Purgatory. There the children, care-
fully guarded by their parents, lest a false step
should precipitate them into the deep chasm,
were allowed to gaze into its depths for a mo-
ment, then led away and seated on a rock to rest.
Most of the older ones lingered a little
longer, watching the movement of the water at
the bottom, and speculating about the depth
and width of the chasm, and what would be the
dire consequence of a fall into it.
"I wouldn't advise you to try it, my young
friends," said Mr. Embury. "It must be fully
fifty feet down to the water, and if you reached
the bottom alive you wouldn't remain so many
minutes."
"No, I suppose not," said Walter, reflec-
tively ; " but the fissure is not very wide and I
think I could jump across."
"Oh, Walter, don't think of such a thing!"
exclaimed Rosie, stepping back suddenly, at
the same time catching him by the arm and
pulling him away.
" Why, Rosie, do you think I could be such
a goose as to attempt anything so foolhardy
ON INLAND WATERS. 229
as that, when nothing was to be gained by it?"
he exclaimed, in a tone between vexation and
amusement.
"No, I don't," she said, drawing a long
breath, "but the very thought of it frightens
me.'
"To run such a risk without any good object
in view such, for instance, as the saving of the
life of someone else would be a very wicked
thing, I think," said Mr. Keith.
"I entirely agree with you," said Captain
Raymond, "no one has a right to rush uncalled
into the presence of his Maker.
" Oh, I shouldn't think anybody would ever
want to try jumping across here !" exclaimed
Grace. "I wonder if anyone ever did."
"It is said that the thing was done once
under peculiar circumstances," replied Mr.
Embury. "The story is that a young and
pretty girl, who had many admirers, suitors for
her hand, came here with one of them and
dared him to jump across the chasm, saying
that if he did so successfully, she would marry
him; otherwise she would not; whereupon he
attempted the dangerous feat and was success-
ful. But his love for his cruel charmer was
gone; he turned toward her, lifted his hat,
bade her farewell, walked away and left her
never to return."
230 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Which served her just right," exclaimed
Lucilla emphatically. "She couldn't have
loved him. Why, I wouldn't let an entire
stranger do so dangerous a thing, if I could
hinder him. Unless it might be somebody who
was here to fight against my country," she added
as an afterthought, and with a little laugh.
" You would have let Prescott do it, I sup-
pose Prescott, the Revolutionary tyrant had
you been with him here and he had shown an
inclination to try his skill in that line," said
Walter.
"I think I shouldn't have made any very
strong objection; for certainly many of my
countrymen would have been far better off with
him down there at the bottom of the fissure,
than where he was and had no business to be.
t
Do you remember the story of the Tory lady
at a ball in Philadelphia, while the British were
in possession there, who, when the British
general, Sir Henry Clinton, ordered the band
to play, * Britons, Strike Home,' said, 'You
should say, "Britons, go home" ' ?"
"Yes, that was pretty good," laughed
Walter. " The ladies had at least one advan-
tage over the men in those days, they could
give the invaders many a home thrust with
their tongues without much danger of personal
violence or imprisonment, in return for it."
ON INLAND WATERS. 231
"That reminds me of a little anecdote of
something that occurred in Charleston, South
Carolina, when they were in possession there,"
said Grandma Elsie. "One of the British
officers had taken a great fancy to a beautiful
American girl, but she would have nothing to
do with him; which, of course, made him very
angry. One day they met in the street. A
big negro was near at hand and the British
officer said to him, so that the lady could hear,
'Go and kiss that lady, and I'll give you a
guinea.'
"'Yes,' said she, 'come and kiss me. I'd
a thousand times rather be kissed by you than
by him.'"
"So he didn't make much by that," laughed
Mr. Embury.
"I wonder [if the darkey did kiss her," said
Grace. "I'm glad I wasn't in her place, if
she had to let either him or the British officer
do it."
"And you would rather be living now,
wouldn't you, daughter?" said her father, giv-
ing her a loving look.
"And belong to you, papa? Yes, indeed!"
she replied.
"How very straight these openings in the
Tocksare!" remarked Walter. "They look as
if they had been cut with a knife."
232 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Yes, it is very strange," said Rosie.
Then perceiving that the others had turned
away and were going toward the spot where
the little ones were, they followed.
" There is a fine prospect here on both land
and water," remarked Mr. Embury. "Do you
see that hanging rock over yonder not close
to the water. That, they say, is where Bishop
Berkeley used to preach. I visited it the other
day, and found it so hard a place to climb to
that I should think his congregations must
have been small; unless they stood in the valley
below; which would make his pulpit very high
above them."
"Where is the house he lived in?" asked
Rosie.
"At some distance, I believe. I have not
seen it yet."
"Now," said Captain Raymond, "will any
or all of you take a sail in the Dolphin f You
can all see her lyiig out yonder and the row-
boat will soon carry us to her. There is plenty
of room for everyone here, a warm welcome if
they choose to go aboard, and a more delight-
ful day for a sail around the island could hardly
be found."
All accepted the invitation with alacrity,
descending the rocks to the beach at once, and
were soon aboard.
ON INLAND WATERS. 233
They found it a very delightful trip. The
captain, having been frequently in those waters,
was able to point out every interesting object,
name all the islands, and call attention to the
still visible ruins of fortifications on Gold,
Goat, Rose, Contour, and Canonicut islands.
That last, he told them, was the Dumplings
Fort, or Fort Canonicut ; and directly opposite
was the Castle Hill of the Revolution, now
Fort Adams, three and a quarter miles below
Newport. In calling attention to it, Captain
Raymond remarked, "That is, as regards
strength, the third fortress in the United
States. It is Newport's defence against
foreign foes."
"I am glad she has such a defence," said Mr.
Embury. "But may she never suffer again
from a foreign foe as she did in Revolutionary
days. Perhaps you all remember that her
population in I774,^he year before that war
began, was eleven thousand, and in 1782 it was
reduced to only about six thousand, and private
property to the value of $624,000 in silver
money had been destroyed."
"Yes," said the captain, "there had been
great and wanton destruction by the ruthless
invaders, in both town and country. The
island of Rhode Island had been so celebrated
for its beauty and salubrity, before that war,
234 ELSIE'S JOURNEY.
that it was the chosen resort of the rich and
philosophical from nearly every part of the
civilized world; but war had sadly changed it
before the British left, after three years of
occupancy, in which they had pillaged and
destroyed more like savages than civilized
men ; though after Prescott was superseded by
Sir Robert Pigot as commander of the British
forces on the island, the people were much
relieved. They were treated with respect, and
plunder ceased. General Pigot was a gentle-
man and no marauder."
CHAPTER XVII.
THE sun was setting as the Dolphin dis-
charged her complement of passengers, and
they walked up the valley to their temporary
abodes. They had had their evening meal upon
the yacht, and the little ones were ready and
glad to be taken at once to their beds, the
older to sit in restful quiet upon the porches,
enjoying the evening breeze, a cheerful chat
over all they had seen and learned in their
delightful little excursion around the island,
and in laying plans for others of the same kind,
and for walks and drives here and there, till
every interesting spot in the neighborhood
should have received from them due attention.
Also in making arrangements for attending the
public service of the sanctuary on the approach-
ing Lord's day; the captain having already
planned for the Dolphin's crew to do the same,
taking turns so that the vessel would not be
left at any time entirely unguarded.
When all these questions had been discussed
and settled, though it was still early, they held
their accustomed evening family service, and
886
236 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
retired to rest, that they might hope to awake
in good season refreshed and ready to engage
with enjoyment in the eacred duties of the holy
day.
"It dawned a lovely autumn day, a cool
refreshing breeze coming in from the bay, mak-
ing the walk through the lovely valley to the
open churches a pleasure as well as duty.
The services over, they returned home, and
after partaking of a simple dinner, gathered
upon the largest of the porches, and each one
old enough to read, with Bible in hand, they
spent an hour in the study of its sacred pages.
The subject engaging their attention was the
way of salvation; Mr. Keith, who was the
leader, called for texts showing the one true
way, and they were given by one and another
as they found them in God's word.
" ' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. For with the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth, con-
fession is made unto salvation,' " repeated the
captain, adding the comment, "Let us notice
that the belief which is unto salvation is evi-
denced by holy living; belief that is not unto
righteousness is not a true and living faith.
The devils believe and tremble, but theirs is
ON INLAND WATERS. 237
not a saving faith, for they do not love and
trust in Jesus. It is the faith which worketh
by love that saves."
" Yes," said Mr. Dinsmore ; " it is not enough
to have no doubt of the truth of the Gospel the
good news of salvation through Jesus Christ
but we must give ourselves to him, love him
and rejoice in his love to us."
"And oh, what a blessing that all may have
that faith who will come to Jesus for it,"
remarked Mr. Embury; "every one, old and
young. 'Look unto me and be ye saved all ye
ends of the earth.'
"Yes," added Mr. Keith, "there are many
good and desirable things to which some of us
can never attain, but salvation by faith is with-
in the reach of all who will come to Jesus for
it. He says, * Him that cometh to me, I will in
no wise cast out.'
It was Mrs. Dinsmore's turn and she repeated :
"' Without faith it is impossible to please him;
for he that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dili-
gently seek him.'
" 'Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life,' " repeated Mrs. Keith.
Then Mrs. Embury : " 'Now the just shall live
by faith : but ii any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not
238 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
of them that draw back unto perdition ; but of
them that believe to the saving of the soul.' "
" And those who believe in Jesus are not to
hide their faith, as that of which they are
ashamed," said Grandma Elsie; "we are to
confess with the mouth, letting it be known
that we believe in Christ and take him for our
Saviour. His own word is, * Whosoever shall
confess me before men, him shall the Son of
man also confess before the angels of God.' "
It was Evelyn's turn. "InHabakkuk ii. 4,"
she said, "I read, 'The just shall live by faith.'
Again in Romans i. 17, 'The just shall live by
faith.' Galatians iii. 11: 'But that no man
is justified by the law in the sight of God, it
is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.'
And here," again turning over the leaves of
her Bible, "Hebrews x. 38, 'Now the just
shall live by faith : but if any man draw back,
my soul shall have no pleasure in him.' "
She paused, and Lucilla repeated the next
verse, " ' But we are not of them who draw back
unto perdition; but of them that believe to
the saving of the soul.' "
Now it was Rosie's turn. "I will read a few
verses from the third chapter of Romans," she
said, and proceeded to do so. " ' Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe;
ON INLAND WATERS. 239
for there is no difference : for all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God ; being jus-
tified freely by his grace through the redemp-
tion that is in Christ Jesus.'
She ceased and Grace, who had turned tfc
the same passage, went on with the reading,
"'Whom God hath set forth to be a propiti-
ation, through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past, through the forbearance of God : To de-
clare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that
he might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus.'" She ceased, and Walter
went on:
"'Where is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? Of works? Nay; but by the
law of faith. Therefore we conclude, that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law.'"
" ' Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ,' " repeated Annis, in low, feeling tones.
Then her husband took it up: "'What shall
we say then? That the Gentiles, which fol-
lowed not after righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness which is
of faith. But Israel, which followed after
righteousness, hath not attained to the law
of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they
240 ELSIE'S JOUENE7
sought it not by faith, but as it were by the
works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumbling stone; as it is written, Behold Hay
in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence:
and whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. '
Walter then spoke again and his was the clos-
ing text. " 'Watch ye, stand fast in the faith,
quit you like men, be strong.' "
"Let us not forget," said Mr. Keith, "that
we are to confess Christ, owning ourselves as
his disciples, under his authority, and ready to
submit to it in all things. Let us not forget
that his own word is, 'If any man will be my
disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross and follow me.' His cross, let us remem-
ber; not one of our own devising, or one laid
upon us by some earthly power without the
Master's word. He alone is Lord of the con-
science and the Bible is his word, revealing to
us his will. Also his own command to each
one of us is, 'Search the Scriptures; for in
them ye have eternal life: and they are they
which testify of me. ' We must never be afraid
or ashamed to let it be known at any time, or
in any company or place, that we are disciples
of Christ, to whom the love of our hearts and
the obedience of our lives are due."
A moment of silence followed the closing of
ON INLAND WATERS. 241
Mr. Keith's remarks; a silence presently broken
by Mrs. Travilla's sweet voice beginning the
hymn:
" Jesus ! and shall it ever be
A mortal man ashamed of Thee ? "
The others joined in, filling the air with
sweet melody.
Prayers and other hymns followed till the
hour set apart for the service had more than
passed a\* ay.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE next morning proved bright and fair,
as lovely a day as one could desire ; no cloud
in the sky save the light fleecy ones that are
not the presage of a storm. Our friends in the
cottages gathered about their breakfast tables
in rare good spirits, in spite of the fact that
Walter was to leave them that day, by the
evening Jboat, for his first experience of life
away from home and mother.
The lad appeared in high spirits, partly real
but partly only assumed, to hide the sinking of
heart that at times oppressed him at the thought
of so long a separation from her who had been
almost all the world to him from babyhood till
now, when he began to consider himself on the
very verge of manhood.
She saw it if no one else did, and her tender
mother heart ached for her "baby boy." For
herself too, that she must do without him and
his loving caresses, for months, and know that
he was exposed to many a trial and temptation
from which mother love could not shield him.
jBut oh, there was comfort in the thought that
942
ON INLAND WATERS. 243
her best Friend was his also, and would still
be as near as ever to both mother and son; still
to them, as to all His children, the Hearer and
Answerer of prayer.
"Well, what is to be done to-day?" asked
Rosie, when the meal had fairly begun.
"I propose a visit to 'Tonomy Hill' for one
thing," said Captain Raymond, addressing his
remark to the company in general.
" Where is that, and what particular claim
has it upon our attention?" queried Mr. Dins-
more in return.
"It is about a mile and a half north of New-
port," replied the captain. "Tonomy is an
abbreviation of Miantonomoh, the name of a
Narragansett sachem whose seat it was in early
times. It is a rocky eminence and the com-
manding site of a small fort or redoubt during
the Revolutionary war. It is said to be the
highest land upon the island except Quaker
Hill, which you will remember we saw toward
the northern end as we sailed round on Satur-
day."
"Ah, yes! where the battle was fought
between the British and our forces under Greene
and Sullivan."
"Is there anything to be seen there on
Tonomy Hill but the ruin of the little fortifi-
cation?" asked Rosie.
844 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"Yea," replied the captain. "The Mil is
270 feet above the bay, and from it we may
obtain a fine view on all sides. On the south
and west the city and harbor of Newport, and
many islands in the harbor with the remains
of fortifications Canonicut, with its ruined
fort, for one. Ah, I am forgetting that you
saw all from the Dolphin the other day!
Still we could not from there take in the whole
view at once as we may from the hill top.
"Looking oceanward beyond the city, we
can see Fort Adams; and, with a spy-glass, the
dim outline of Block Island ; beyond it in the
Atlantic, perhaps, if your eyes are good, a
faint view, a little more to the eastward, of
the nearest shore of Martha's Vineyard; also
of some of the islands in Buzzard's Bay.
" On the east can be seen Warren and Bristol,
and the top of Mount Hope, the throne of King
Philip. To the north there will be a good
view of Narragansett Bay and the towns along
its shores."
"Indeed, captain, you make it seem very
well worth while to go there, " observed Mrs.
Dinsmore.
" I think that when we get there and look
about and around, upon all that is to be seen,
you will be still better convinced of it,"
returned the captain. " In addition to what I
ON INLAND WATERS. 245
have already mentioned we can look upon a
large part of the cultivated fields of this island,
and find them rich in natural productions as
well as in historical associations."
"Oh, let us go by all means!" exclaimed
Violet. "Perhaps our little folks might not
care for it, or might find the climb up the hill
too fatiguing, but they can be left in the yacht
or carriage, whichever the trip is made in."
"Oh, mamma!" exclaimed little Elsie, "I
should very much rather go up that hill with
the rest of you, if you will only let me !"
"Well, dear, I should like to let you do as
you prefer, but, of course, it must be just as
your papa says," replied Violet, smiling down
affectionately into the eager, pleading little
face.
"And papa says you may go if you wish to,"
said the captain, in his kind, pleasant tones.
"Me too, papa?" asked Ned eagerly.
"Yes, you too, if you wish to, son," replied
his father. " I think even my baby boy will
enjoy the drive, the climb up the hill, and the
lovely view from its top."
"We are going to drive, are we, papa?"
queried Lucilla.
" Yes ; I have ordered carriages from New-
port to be here by nine o'clock; so that all who
wish can drive. But should anyone prefer
246 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
the yacht it is at their service. Also, it will
be welcome to any who desire a sail afterward."
After a little more talk, first among them-
selves, then along with the occupants of the
other cottage, it was decided that all would
take the drive to Tonomy Hill and see the
view; then some would drive elsewhere, others
would board the yacht and have a sail.
The engaged vehicles were already at hand,
and in a few minutes the entire company of
adults and children were on the way to Tonomy
Hill.
All, old and young, greatly enjoyed the
drive, and the captain was plied with ques-
tions about this object and that. The wind-
mills particularly interested little Elsie and
Ned. Their father explained what they were,
and why there were so many of them, that they
were made necessary by the absence of streams
sufficiently strong to turn water-wheels, and, of
one standing at the junction of the main road
and the lane leading to the Hill, he remarked :
"That is an old, old one, built years before the
Revolutionary War. At the time of the war
it and the dwelling-house near by were owned
by a man named Hubbard. He was one of
the many Americans whom Prescott turned
out of their houses, to take shelter in barns
and other miserable abiding places, while his
ON INLAND WATERS. 247
soldiers took possession of their comfortable
homes."
"What a shame!" exclaimed Ned. "Papa,
I'm glad we don't have those bad fellows here
now."
"So am I," replied his father. "We ought
to thank God every day for making us so free,
and giving us this dear land of our own. I
hope my boy will always remember to do so."
Reaching the top of the hill, they found the
view from it all that the captain had said.
Calling attention to it, now on this side, now
on that, he named the different towns and
othtr objects worthy of particular attention.
Mount Hope was one, and again he spoke of it
as the former home of King Philip.
"Papa," said Elsie, "who was he? I thought
we never had any king in our country."
" The Indians used to have them, and he was
king of one of their tribes," was the reply.
"Is there a story about him, papa?" she
asked.
"Yes. Would you like to hear it?"
"Oh, yes, sir! yes, indeed! you know I
always like stories."
"Yes; even if they are rather sad; as this
one is. But if you wish, I will tell you a
little about It now; perhaps more at another
time."
248 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
" Oh, tell it all, if you please, Brother Levis,"
aid Rosie. "I don't believe any one of us
would object to hearing it."
Several of the others joined in the request,
and the captain, ever ready to oblige, began at
once.
"His original name was Metacomet, but he
is frequently spoken of as King Philip and
also as Pometacom. His father was Massa-
soit, whose dominions extended from this
Narragansett Bay to Massachusetts. Massasoit
took two of his sons, Metacomet and Wamsutta,
to Plymouth and asked that English names
might be given them. His request was
granted, one being called Philip and the other
Alexander.
"Upon the death of the father, Alexander
became chief in his stead, but soon died sud-
denly, of poison, it was supposed, and Philip
became chief or king in his stead. He was a
bright, enterprising man; sagacious, brave, and
generous. He soon perceived that his people
were being robbed by the whites, who took
possession of the best lands, and killed off the
game and the fish upon which the Indians had
been used to subsist.
"Philip's tribe was known as the Wam-
panoags, or Pokanokets, and their principal
Tillage was there upon Mount Hope. They,
ON INLAND WATERS. 249
and other tribes as well, felt that they had
been greatly injured by the whites, and planned
an offensive alliance against them.
" Philip began his war preparations by send-
ing the women and children of the tribe away
from Mount Hope to the Narragansetts for
protection. Then he warned some of the
whites with whom he was friendly of the com-
ing storm, that they might seek places of
safety, and, when they were gone, bade his fol-
lowers swear eternal hostility to the whites.
"A dreadful war followed, beginning on the
24th of June, 1675, and lasting for more than
a year. The whites suffered a great deal, but
the Indians still more. Particularly the Narra-
gansetts, who were treated with great cruelty
because they had given shelter to the Wam-
panoags and their families.
" They had a fort on an elevation of three or
four acres surrounded by a swamp, studded
with brambles and thick underbrush. There
were three thousand Indians in it mostly
women and children. The whites surprised
them, burned their palisades and straw-covered
wigwams, and the poor creatures were burned,
suffocated, butchered, frozen, or drowned.
Six hundred warriors and a thousand women
and children were killed, and all the winter
provision of the tribe destroyed. Their chief,
350 ELSIE'S JOUENE7
Canonchet, escaped then, but was captured and
killed the next summer.
"It was on the 12th of the next August that
a renegade Indian guided a large party of
white men to the camp of the Wampanoagfc
The Indians were asleep, King Philip amon
them. After the first shot or two he woke,
sprang to his feet, gun in hand, and tried to
escape, but, as he stumbled and fell in the mire,
was shot dead by a treacherous Indian. His
death ended the war."
"Poor fellow!" sighed Grace. "He was
certainly treated with great injustice and
cruelty. I don't see how the whites could be
so blind to the fact that the Indians had the
best right to this country, and that it was
wicked to rob them of their lands."
"Self-interest is apt to have a very blinding
influence," said her father. "And I am afraid
we must acknowledge that the whites were the
first aggressors, in their grasping seizure of so
much of the land of which the Indians were
the original and rightful possessors."
All having now looked their fill, they returned
to their carriages and drove to other points of
interest, one of them Whitehall, the old resi-
dence of Bishop Berkeley. It was a place that
all cared to see, especially a room in it for*
merly occupied by the dean, where was a fire*
ON INLAND WATERS. 251
place, ornamented with Dutch tiles, placed
there by the dean himself.
"Oh, how old they must be!" exclaimed
Grace.
"Yes, not much, if at all, under two hun-
dred years old," said Walter. "It sometimes
eeems odd how much longer things may last
than people."
"In this world, you mean," said his grand-
father; "but do not forget that man is immor-
tal, and must live somewhere to all eternity."
"And Bishop Berkeley is no doubt spending
his eternity in a far lovelier paradise than that
with which he was familiar in this world,"
remarked Mrs. Travilla.
"Yes, indeed! 'Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord,' " quoted Evelyn softly, think-
ing of the dear father who had left her for the
better land years ago.
*,*
4
CHAPTER XIX.
DINNER was ready to be put upon the table
when the party reached again their temporary
home, and their long drive had given each one
an appetite that made the meal most enjoy-
able. They rested upon the porches for a short
time after leaving the table, then set out for a
walk to the beach, Walter at his mother's side,
Violet, the captain, and their two little ones
near at hand. These were at some distance in
the rear of the young girls, who had started
for the beach a few minutes earlier.
"Mother," said Walter, "I should like very
much to see that dear old lady Cousin Molly
talks about ; also the old Revolutionary house
she lives in. Do you think we might call there
without seeming to intrude?"
"Really I do not know," replied Mrs.
Travilla. " If Molly were only here she could
judge better than I."
"Perhaps she is there," suggested Walter.
"I noticed that she started a little ahead of the
girls."
" So she did," said Violet, overhearing their
ON INLAND WATERS.
talk, " and I think she is probably there now,
for she was telling me last evening that she felt
anxious that you, Walter, should see her dear
old lady before leaving to-night. Ah! and
yonder they both are at the gate of the house
now."
" Then I would suggest that you three hasten
on, leaving me to follow more slowly with the
children. It would hardly do to overwhelm
the old lady with so large a company at once,"
said the captain, and they promptly carried
out his suggestion. Mrs. Barker and Molly
were standing by the front gate chatting as
they came up.
"Ah, here they are, Mrs. Barker!" said
Molly; "my cousins, Mrs. Travilla, her
daughter, Mrs. Raymond, and her son Walter.
He is the lad I was telling you of, who starts
for college to-night, and was very desirous to
see you and your revolutionary house before
going."
" And to hear all you can tell me about its
experiences in those days, Mrs. Barker, if you
will be so kind," added Walter, with a polite
bow and his most insinuating smile.
" I shall be happy to tell and show all I can
to you and your mother and sister," replied the
old lady, leading the way toward the house,
her guests following.
254 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
She took them over the greater part of it,
telling them what rooms had been occupied by
the Hessians, and what by the family while the
unwelcome intruders were there. They were
much interested in all she told them, and ad-
mired her housekeeping, everything being in
beautiful order. She told them the Mr. Barker
of those days was a true patriot, in fact, a spy
working for the American cause, and when
their call was finished and they were taking
their departure, she went with them to the
gate, and pointing out a ledge of rock on the
farther side of the valley, beyond the cottages
they were occupying, told them that in revo-
lutionary times that was a part of the large
tract of land owned by Isaac Barker; that, in
those days, instead of the stone wall now run-
ning along its edge overlooking the water,
there was a rail fence ; and that Isaac Barker
was in the habit of signalling the patriot troops
encamped on an island opposite, whenever
there was an important item of news for them,
and that he did so by alterations in the fence,
made under his supervision by the unsuspect-
ing Hessians."
"Oh, that was good!" cried Walter; "but
did the British never catch him at it?"
"No, never," she replied. "If they had, his
life would not have been worth much."
ON INLAND WATERS. 255
"You must think a great deal of this old
house," said Walter, turning and looking it
over with admiring eyes. " If it were mine I
wouldn't give it for any of the grand palaces
built in these later days."
"Nor would I," she said. "Come and see it
again; it and me; if you care to do so."
" Thank you ; I should enjoy doing so, but I
leave to-night for college."
"Ah? I am glad for you; fora good educa-
tion is worth more than money or almost any
other earthly thing."
"So I think, because it will enable me, or
anyone who has it, to be more useful in the
world."
"That is a right feeling," she said; then
turning to the ladies gave them a warm invita-
tion to call again any day, as they passed on
their way to the beach.
"Thank you, Mrs. Barker," said Grandma
Elsie. " It is quite likely we may do so, for
we have greatly enjoyed our chat with you."
" And will be glad to have you return our
call, if you can conveniently do so, while we
linger in your neighborhood," added Violet.
Arrived at the beach, Violet joined her hus-
band and the young folks there, but her mother
and Walter passed on up the cliff, the lad say-
ing laughingly that he wanted another peep
256 ELSIE'S JOUENE7
into Purgatory before leaving the neighbor*
hood ; but, as his mother well understood, a bit
of private chat with her was the chief object
he had in view.
They took a peep into the chasm, then wan-
dered away a little and sat down side by side
upon a ledge of rock. Looking at him with
her own loving smile, she laid her hand in his.
He clasped it tightly, while unbidden tears
sprang to his eyes.
"Mother," he said low and tremulously, "my
own dear mother! You are almost all the
world to me. I think no other fellow had so
dear and sweet a mother as mine. I don't
know how I shall ever stand it to pass weeks
and months without a sight of your dear face.*
" Ah, you will soon learn to do without me,"
she said, between a sigh and a smile. "But I
do not believe my dear baby boy will ever cease
to love his mother, or to try to make her happy
by a faithful attendance to all his duties, But
oh, above all, try to please and honor the God
of your fathers whose servant you profess to
be. Begin every day with an earnest suppli-
cation for strength to perform every duty and
resist every temptation."
"It is my fixed purpose to do so, mother
dear, and I know you will be ever helping me
with jour prayers," he answered earnestly*
ON INLAND WATERS. 257
*0h, what a blessing it is to have a praying,
Christian mother! And I know that you will
write to me often, and that your dear letters
will be a great help to me in my efforts to
resist temptation and keep in the strait and
narrow path."
"I hope so," she said; "also that my dear
youngest son will never learn to conceal things
from his mother, but will write me freely of all
that concerns him, never doubting my love or
my interest in it all, for his dear sake."
"Doubt your dear love, mother? No, never
for one moment! Oh, it will be hard to part
from you to-day, even though I hope to see
you again before you go home !"
"Yes, I expect to give you a call at the col-
lege, to see that my dear son is made as com-
fortable as possible, and to take a view of his
room and all his surroundings, that I may be
able to picture him in my mind's eye at his
studies, recitations, and sports."
"Just as I can see my loved mother in every
room of the dear home at Ion, or the other one
at Viamede, should you go there at any time
without me," he returned, making a deter-
mined effort to speak lightly. "It seems a
little hard to start off without you, mother; but
as Cousin Cyril has kindly promised to go with
me, I shall do very well, especially with the
258 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
knowledge that I am to see you again in a few
days."
"Yes," she said, "and you will like those
New Jersey relatives of his, who are more dis-
tantly related to us, when you become ac-
quainted with them, as I hope you will at some
not very distant day."
" The uncle he is expecting to visit there is
a brother of Cousin Annis, is he not?" asked
Walter.
"Yes."
"Then I should think she and her hus-
band, Cousin Ronald, would go with Cousin
Cyril."
"I think they will follow a few days hence,
when we start for home," she answered.
Just at that moment they were startled by a
wild shriek, as of one in great peril or affright,
instantly followed by a sound as of a heavy
body plunging into the water. Both started to
their feet, Walter exclaiming, "Oh, mother!
someone must have fallen into that dreadful
deep chasm they call Purgatory! Oh, what
can we do?"
"Nothing," she answered, with a laugh that
sounded slightly hysterical. "See! Cousin
Ronald and several of the others have come up
the hill unnoticed by us."
" Oh ! I think it was rather too bad for him
ON INLAND WATERS. 259
to startle you so, mamma dear!" exclaimed
Walter.
"Yes, I must acknowledge that it was,"
returned Mr. Lilburn, who had now drawn
near enough to overhear the remark. " Pardon
me, Cousin Elsie; I really did not intend to
give you such a fright; for I deemed it likely
you would know at once that it was I and
none other."
"As I probably should, had I been aware
of your vicinity," she returned, in a pleasant
tone; "but my boy and I were so engrossed
with our talk that we did not perceive your
approach. I think Walter and I must now go
back to the cottage and see to the packing of
his trunk."
"Cannot I do that, mamma?" queried
Violet.
"Thank you, daughter, I have no doubt you
could, but I have a fancy for the job myself,"
was the pleasant-toned reply. "Besides, your
place is with your husband and little ones, who,
I think, would find it agreeable and beneficial
to remain here on the beach for another hour
or so."
"I haven't unpacked much sinee we came
here, mother," remarked Walter, as they
walked away together, " so that it will not be
a long job to get my things in my trunk, but I
260 ELSIE'S JOURNE7
am glad you came away so early with me, as
it gives us time and opportunity for another
private chat."
"Yes, my dear boy, that was my principal
object in proposing this early return, but I
hope for many another pleasant chat with my
dear youngest son in the years to come," hia
mother responded cheerfully.
"I haven't seen quite all the places in and
about Newport or Middletown that I should
take an interest in examining," remarked
Walter. " But I presume I may hope to come
again some day?"
"Oh, yes; possibly a good many times in
the course of a few years; though there are
many other places in our great, beautiful coun-
try that are quite as well worth visiting, and
far better worth seeing than some noted resorts
in Europe. I want my sons and daughters to
appreciate their own country," she went on,
her sweet face lighting with enthusiasm, " with
all that is beautiful and valuable in it, as well
as its free institutions religious, civil, and
political."
"I think I do, mamma," he said, with a
smile. "You have brought up all your chil-
dren to admire and love their own land, believ-
ing it the best and greatest country in all the
wide world.**
INLAND WATERS. 261
"Yes, and yet, alas! there is a vast deal of
wickedness in it," she sighed; "wickedness,
error, superstition, and vice, which we should
make it our life work to try to root out."
"As I truly intend to, mamma. But are not
most of the ignorant and vicious those who
have come in from foreign lands?"
"A very great many a very large majority
no doubt are," she answered; "and yet there
are many ignorant and vicious ones who are
native born ; not a few of them being the chil-
dren of natives. Some of the Tories of revolu-
tionary times were even worse than savages.
'The heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked,' applies to the whole of
Adam's fallen race, and each one of us needs
to pray, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.' "
"I feel that I do, mother, but you have
always seemed to me so perfect that it is diffi-
cult to realize that it can be so with you," said
the lad, turning upon her eyes filled with ardent
love and admiration.
"That is doubtless because your eyes are
blinded by filial love, my dear boy," she
returned, with her sweet and loving smile.
They presently reached the house, and Walter
set about his packing, under his mother's
supervision, which made the work seem but a
262 ELSIE'S JOURNEf.
pleasant pastime. It did not take long and,
seated together in one of the porches, they had
time before the return of the others for a con-
fidential chat, such as Walter dearly loved to
have with his mother.
Then came the call to supper, and the meal
was scarcely over when the hack was an-
nounced as at the door; there were hasty leave-
takings, his mother's the last for Walter. She
strained him to her heart with some whispered
words of love, while he embraced her with
ardent affection, and in a moment more he was
in the hack, with Mr. Keith by his side, and
they were driving rapidly away toward the
city to take the night train for New York.
CHAPTER XX.
THE shades of evening had begun to falL
A cool breeze made the brightly lighted parlor
more attractive than the porches, and there the
older ones gathered, while the mothers saw
their weary little ones to bed. The gentlemen
had their newspapers, Mrs. Dinsmore and Mrs.
Travilla their fancy work, while the four young
girls, in a group by themselves, chatted and
laughed together, discussing the sights and
scenes through which they had passed that
day, and the bits of history connected with
them.
The captain presently threw aside his paper,
and taking a vacant seat on the sofa beside his
daughter Grace, asked in tender tones, as he
passed an arm about her and drew her close, if
she felt very weary from the day's exertions.
"Not so very, papa dear," she answered, lay-
ing her head on his shoulder and smiling up
into the eyes bent so lovingly upon her. "I
think I never had a better time. Have we
been to all the places of interest now?"
"Not quite all," he replied; "there are a
264 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
few others to which we may take pleasant little
jaunts in the week or so we expect to tarry
here."
" Vaucluse for one, I should say," remarked
Mr. Embury, laying aside his paper and join-
ing in the talk.
"Where is that?" asked Mrs. Dinsmore.
" Over on the shore of the eastern bay, and
about six miles out from Newport. It is a
noted country seat, at present unoccupied ex-
cept in small part by a caretaker and his wife.
It has a very neglected look, but is still well
worth seeing, I have been told. But here
comes my Molly with a manuscript in her
hand. Something to read to us, I suppose. Is
it, my dear?"
"Yes," she said, with a smile; "provided
you all wish to hear it. A story of the ship
Palatine from Holland, which struck on Sandy
Point of this island early in the last century.
I have used the facts as far as they could be
obtained, and drawn upon my imagination for
the rest. If all would like to hear it, I shall
be glad to have your opinions and criticisms
before offering it for publication."
" Suppose you put it to vote, my dear," sug-
gested her husband. "We are all here now
except the little folks, who have gone to their
beds," he added, glancing at Isadore and Violet,
ON INLAND WATERS. 265
who bad come into the room just in time to
hear Molly's last sentence.
" I shall be glad to heard it, Molly. I always
have enjoyed such of [your productions as have
come under my notice," said Violet, in a lively
tone, as she took the seat her husband had has-
tened to offer.
"And I can echo those sentiments," added
Isadore lightly, taking possession of an easy
chair gallantly drawn forward for her by her
Uncle Dinsmore.
Thus encouraged, Mrs. Embury began at
once.
"Story of the ship Palatine" she read.
"Some time in the early years of the last
century, a ship named the Palatine left Hol-
land for America, bearing a large number of
emigrants, whose destination was the then
colony of Pennsylvania, where they intended
to buy land and settle; and for that reason
they were carrying with them all their earthly
possessions clothing, furniture, and money;
of which some had a good deal, others only
a little.
"Among the wealthier ones was Herr
Adolphus Follen, with hia wife Margaret, his
daughters Katrina and Gretchen, and his son
Karl. Also they had with them an elderly
woman, Lisa Kuntz, who had lived with the
266 ELSIE'S JOUENET
Follens ever since their marriage, and acted as
nurse to each of their children in turn. She
had no near kin, and being much attached to
the family in which she had made her home for
so many years, had decided to accompany them
to the new world in spite of her fears of
Indians and wild animals.
"As the good ship Palatine sailed slowly
out of port, all these, with many of their fellow-
passengers, stood upon her deck gazing sadly,
and not a few with flowing tears, upon the
fast-receding shores of their native land. Ah,
how much bitterer would have been their grief,
could they have foreseen the sufferings that
fateful voyage held in store for them ! Though
they little suspected it at the time, they had
fallen into the hands of men so full of the love of
money, so ready to do the most dastardly deeds
in order to secure it, that they were no better
than the worst of cut-throats and murderers.
"The emigrants had not brought a store of
provisions for the voyage, because, according
to the agreement, these were to be purchased of
the captain and his officers. But scarcely had
they cleared the coast and stood well out to
sea when they were struck with astonishment
and dismay at the enormous sums asked for the
merest necessaries of life : 20 guilders for a cup
of water, 50 rix dollars for a ship's biscuit."
ON INLAND WATERS. 267
"Astounding rascality !" exclaimed Mr. Em-
bury, as his wife paused for an instant in her
reading.
" Why, how much are those coins worth in
our money?" she asked. " I really do not know
exactly."
"A guilder," he replied, "equals 40 cents of
our money; so that 20 guilders would be $8.
Think of that as the price of a cup of water!
probably not the coolest or cleanest either.
Then the 50 rix dollars for a ship biscuit would
equal $18.25. Think of such a conspiracy as
that on the part of a ship's officers to rob
defenceless passengers !"
" Why, it was just dreadful !" she exclaimed.
"Those officers were no better than pirates."
" Not a whit ! In fact, they were pirates.
But go on, my dear; let us have the rest of
your story."
Mrs. Embury resumed her reading.
"'What shall we, what can we do,' asked
Frau Follen of her husband. 'I fear there will
be no money left for buying land when we
reach America.'
"'Alas! I fear not, indeed!' he returned;
'and should anything happen to delay the
vessel we may be reduced to great extremity
even before reaching the shores of America.
Ah, would we had been satisfied to remain in
268 ELSIE'S JOUENE7
the fatherland!' he groaned in anguish of
spirit.
" 'Ah, father,' said Gretchen, the eldest
daughter, 'let not your heart fail you yet.
Help may yet come from some unexpected
quarter, and if not if we die for lack of food
we may hope to awake from the sleep of death
in the better land, to suffer and die no more.
Let us trust in God and not be afraid.'
" 'You are right, my daughter,' he returned
with emotion. 'But oh, God grant I may not
be called to see my wife and children suffer
and die for lack of food!'
"A young man standing near, one with whom
they were slightly acquainted, here joined in
the conversation.
" 'It is dreadful, dreadful !' he exclaimed, but
speaking in a subdued tone for fear of being
overheard by their inhuman oppressors, 'the
way these mercenary wretches are robbing the
helpless poor whom they have entrapped into
their net. Every fellow of them deserves the
headsman's axe, and I hope will reach it at last.
Think of the exorbitant sums they are asking
for the barest necessaries of life! Nor do I
believe they will ever carry us to our destina-
tion, lest complaint be made of them and they be
brought to condign punishment by the authori-
ties of the land. '
ON INLAND WATERS. 269
" 'But, -what then do you think they will do,
Herr Ernesti?' asked Frau Follen, gasping
with fear and horror, as she spoke.
" 'I cannot tell,' he answered. 'Mayhap
land us on some desert island, and leave us
there to struggle as we can for life. But,
thank God, they cannot take us to any spot
where He does not rule and reign, or where
His ear will be deaf to the cries of His perish-
ing ones. So, my friends, let us not give up
to utter despair. "The Lord is my light and
my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?" '
" 'Yes, yes; what consolation in knowing
that!' cried Gretchen, tears of mingled joy
and sorrow streaming down her face. 'Father,
mother, sister, and brother, we are all His and
He will care for us in His own time and way.'
" But who shall describe the scenes that fol-
lowed through weeks of deepest distress and
agony, as fathers and mothers, husbands and
wives, brothers and sisters saw their dear ones
perishing with famine, while they themselves
were goaded almost to madness by the pangs of
hunger added to their bitter grief?
"But they were entirely in the power of
their inhuman torturers, who never relaxed in
their demands until they had wrenched from
370 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
their wretched victims every stiver in their
possession.
"That accomplished, and no food remaining
unless a very, very scanty store they,
officers and sailors, deserted the vessel, going
off in the boats, leaving their helpless victims
to their fate, for not one of them had either
the needed knowledge or strength for the man-
agement of the ship; and so she drifted aim-
lessly hither and thither at the mercy of the
winds and waves, carrying her fearful cargo of
dead and dying whither they knew not.
"To the survivors that voyage seemed like
one long, dreadful dream, full of horrors and
keenest anguish of body and mind. Of the
many emigrants who, filled with the hope of
reaching a land of freedom and plenty, had
crowded the vessel at the beginning of the
voyage, but seventeen feeble, emaciated, almost
dying creatures were left when, one cold winter
morning, about Christmas time, the now dis-
masted hulk of the good ship Palatine drifted
into Narragansett Bay and struck on Sandy
Point, Rhode Island.
" It was Sunday morning, but the good people
of the island seeing the wreck, and knowing
there might be in her some living soul in dis-
tress, hastened on board, where they found the
poor, perishing creatures, and at once carried
ON INLAND WATERS. 271
them all ashore save one woman Lisa Kuntz,
the nurse of the Follens, who obstinately
refused to leave the vessel. She was seated
upon the deck with her belongings about her,
and there she was determined to stay. But
she was not safe there, as the islanders well
knew; for the dismasted hulk could not be
secured against drifting away, and as the tide
arose around it they, as a last resort, set it on
fire, thinking the lone woman would certainly
be frightened, and prefer coming ashore to
remaining upon the burning ship. But she
would not, and as the tide rose the blazing
hulk drifted away, carrying her with it."
"Oh, how dreadful!" sighed several of
Molly's hearers.
"Wasn't it?" she responded. "I suppose
the sufferings of the [poor creature must have
made her insane."
" But the sixteen who were brought ashore,
did they live?" asked Lucilla; and in reply
Mrs. Embury resumed her reading.
"The sixteen who had been carried ashore
were treated with the greatest kindness by the
islanders, all their wants carefully attended to;
but for nearly all of them help had come too
late, and all but three soon died. Of the Follen
family Gretchen alone remained, a lonely,
almost heart-broken creature, having seen
272 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
father, mother, brother, and sister laid in the
grave soon after landing upon the island. But
Herr Hubert Ernesti remained. He had been
beside her all these dreadful weeks and months,
had sympathized in all her griefs, all her suffer-
ings of mind and body, and each had learned
to look upon the other as the nearest and dear-
est of all earthly beings; so that when, beside
the newly filled grave that held the last of her
family, he asked her to give herself to him
that they might meet all coming trials and
share all joys together, she did not say him
nay, or withdraw the hand he had taken in his
and held in a clasp so loving and tender.
" It was from them the islanders learned the
sad story of the terrible scenes and sufferings
on board the Palatine; an experience poor
Gretchen could never recall without tears.
"Hubert and she remained upon that hos-
pitable island for some years, then left it for
their original destination, where, we will hope,
they lived out the remainder of their lives in
peace and happiness."
" And that is the end of your sad little story,
is it?" asked Rosie, as her cousin paused in
the reading.
"Of the story of those two," said Molly;
"but I have something more to read, if no one
is tired of listening."
ON INLAND WATERS. 273
No one seemed to be, and she resumed:
"Ever since the burning Palatine drifted
away that night a strange light has been seen
at intervals along this coast whence she departed
on that last voyage. Many have seen it, and
the superstitious and ignorant have looked
upon it as the phantom of the burning ship
Palatine, ever drifting upon the open sea,
always burning but never consumed ; seen only
at long intervals, as she drifts off the western
coast.
"A well-known physician of Block Island,
having had two opportunities of seeing it, says,
' This curious irradiation rises from the ocean
near the northern point of the island; looks
like a blaze of fire ; either touches the water or
hovers over it. It bears no more resemblance
to the ignis fatuus than to the aurora borealis.
Sometimes it is small, resembling the light
through a distant window; at others expand-
ing to the height of a ship with all her canvas
spread; the streams, somewhat blended to-
gether at the bottom, separate and distinct at
the top, the middle one rising higher than the
others. It is very variable sometimes almost
disappearing, then shining out anew. It
changes about every three minutes,' does not
always return to the same place, but is some-
times seen shining at a considerable distance
274 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
from the place of disappearance. It seems to
have no certain line of direction. The flame,
when most expanded, waves like a torch; is
sometimes stationary, at others progressive.
It is seen at all seasons of the year and, for the
most part, in calm weather which precedes an
easterly or southerly storm. It has, however,
been noticed in a severe northwesterly gale and
when no storm followed immediately. Its stay
is sometimes short, at others all night, and it
has been known to appear several nights in
succession.'
" * This light,' says another person, c is often
seen blazing at six or seven miles distance, and
strangers suppose it to be a vessel on fire. The
blaze emits luminous rays. A gentleman whose
house is situated near the sea tells me that he
has known it to illuminate considerably the
walls of his room through the window; but
that happens only when the light is within a
half mile of the shore.' "
"But where did you learn all this, Molly?"
asked her husband, as she paused to turn a leaf
in her manuscript.
"From Mr. Baylor's * History of Newport
County,' lent me by my kind friend, Mrs.
Barker, of the old revolutionary house," Mrs.
Embury answered, then continued her reading.
ON INLA2H) WATERS. 275
" Says Mr. Joseph P. Hazard of Narragansett
Pier: 'I first saw it three miles off the coast.
I suspected nothing but ordinary sails until I
noticed the light, upon reappearing, was appar-
ently stationary for a few moments, when it
suddenly started toward the coast, and, imme-
diately expanding, became much less bright,
assuming somewhat the form of a long, narrow
jib, sometimes two of them, as if each on a
different mast. I saw neither spar nor hull,
but noticed that the speed was very great, cer-
tainly not less than fifteen knots, and they
surged and pitched as though madly rushing
upon raging billows. ' "
"Superstition, every bit of it!" remarked
Mr. Dinsmore, as Mrs. Embury folded her
manuscript and laid it aside.
" Why this any more than the ignis fatuusf '
queried Mr. Embury, in a tone that seemed a
mixture of jest and earnestness. "Neither has
as yet been altogether satisfactorily accounted
for. The latter having puzzled philosophers
from the time of Aristotle."
"True," said Mr. Dinsmore, "there are
various theories advanced in regard to that.
All we know certainly is that it is a luminous
appearance frequently seen in marshy places,
churchyards, and over stagnant pools."
276 ELSIE'S JOUENEY
"Has it ever been seen in this country,
grandpa?" asked Grace.
"I think not," he replied, "but it is not
unfrequent in the lowlands of Scotland, the
south and northwest of England, or the
northern parts of Germany. The time of year
for its appearance is from the middle of autumn
till the beginning of November."
" I think I have read that the people of the
districts where it was frequently seen used to
be superstitious about it in olden times ; and
that they called it Will-o'-the-wisp, and Jack-
a-lantern."
"Yes; and believed it to be due to the
agency of evil spirits who were trying to lure
travellers to their destruction. And unfortu-
nately it was sometimes mistaken by unwary
travellers for a light, and in trying to reach it,
thinking it shone from some human habitation
where they might find shelter and a night's
lodging, they would follow it and so get into,
and sink in, the marsh, thus losing their
lives."
"Is it not about time we were seeking our
night's lodgings?" asked Mrs. Dinsmore pleas-
antly, as her husband concluded his sentence.
"See, the clock is on the stroke of nine, which
is a late enough hour for most of us now, when
ON INLAND WATERS. 277
we are moving about so much during the day.
Surely it is for Gracie, whose eyes, I notice,
begin to droop."
j "I think you are right, my dear," replied
her husband. Then he requested Mr. Lilburn
to lead their family worship.
i
.
i
CHAPTER XXL
A FEW days longer our friends lingered in
their pleasant cottages on the beautiful island,
loath to leave it, with any one of its many inter-
esting localities unexplored. They walked,
rode, drove, and sailed about the bay, visiting
now one island, and now another. Captain
Raymond's acquaintance with naval and mili-
tary officers, and his high reputation among
them making it easy for them to gain access to
Teasels, forts, and fortifications.
Goat Island interested them as the place
where the English ship Liberty was destroyed
before the Revolution. They saw the noble
stone pier, hundreds of feet long, visited the tor-
pedo station, and the captain pointed out to the
others the curving point on which, more than a
century ago, very many pirates had been hanged.
They visited the city too, and looked with
interest upon the old houses that had stood
here in and before Revolutionary times; among
them Redwood Library, and old Trinity
Church, in which Bishop Berkeley had often
preached.
The young people were much interested too,
278
ON INLAND WATERS. 279
in tbe old stone mill that singular relic of the
past about which there has been so much spec-
ulation and, when visiting the island ceme-
tery, in the plain obelisk marking the last rest-
ing place of Commodore Perry, the hero of the
battle of Lake Erie.
Many of these things the captain and his
family had seen on former visits to Newport,
yet they enjoyed seeing them again in com-
pany with those of the party to whom they
were entirely new.
But holidays must come to an end, and at
length all felt so great a drawing toward their
distant homes that a proposal to return to them
was made by Mrs. Dinsmore, and hailed with
delight by all the others.
The needed preparations were speedily made,
and early one morning they set sail in the yacht,
which before night had landed all but the cap-
tain's immediate family and Evelyn Leland in
New York, where they took a train for Phila-
delphia.
Mr. Cyril Keith was to meet his wife and
family there, and they, with the Emburys, were
to hasten on to their homes in Louisiana, paus-
ing on the route for only a short visit to the
neighborhood of the old home of Isadore and
Molly, and the relatives there.
Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore had planned a short
280 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
visit to their relatives in and near Philadel-
phia; and his daughter Elsie, with her daughter
Rosie, one to her son Walter at Princeton;
while Mr. and Mrs. Lilburn were to do likewise
by her brother, Donald Keith and his family,
Annis feeling very happy in the thought of see-
ing them all, and showing them the dear, kindly
old gentleman to whom she had given her heart
and hand.
Having landed these passengers, the yacht
changed her course, and sailed on down the
Atlantic coast. The little ones were in their
berths, the others all on deck.
" Now, if I were not here, you would be just
a family party, " remarked Evelyn, breaking a
momentary silence.
"I think we are as it is," said the captain.
"As you are a pupil of mine, will you not let
me count you as one of my family?"
"Indeed, sir; I should be only too glad to
have you do so," she answered, in a sprightly
tone; "but I doubt if Lu would be willing to
share her choicest treasure her father's love-
with me."
"Why, yes, I should, Eva! because he
wouldn't love me any the less for loving you
also," said Lulu.
" Oh, then you may adopt me just as soon as
you like, captain," laughed Evelyn.
ON INLAND WATERS. 281
"Now, I think I have a right to some say in
this matter," said Violet, in a light, jesting
tone. "I object to becoming mother to a girl
of your age and attainments, but am perfectly
willing to have you for a sister."
"Very well, my dear,; that settles it," said
the captain. "You and I, Eva, will consider
ourselves brother and sister."
"Ah, I like that," said Grace; "though I
am not sure that I shall consider Eva my
aunt. Papa, are we going directly home
now?"
" Do you not see that we are hurrying onward
in that direction?" he asked in reply.
A sudden thought seemed to strike Grace.
'"Oh, is Max in Annapolis now?" she asked.
"Yes," her father answered, with a joyous
smile, "and I want to see my boy so badly that
I have decided to call there for a few hours
before going home ; unless some of you strongly
object," he added, in a jesting tone.
"Of course we do, papa," laughed Lucilla.
* How can you suppose that any of us would be
willing to see Max?"
"Very well, anyone who is averse to seeing
him will have the privilege of shutting herself
into her stateroom while he is on board, and
indeed, during the whole visit to Annapolis,"
replied the captain.
882 ELSIE'S JOURNEY
"And I well know Lu will not be one of
them," laughed Violet.
They had a speedy and pleasant voyage, a
delightful little visit with Max, after that a joy-
ful return home, followed a few weeks later by
the coming of the Dinsmores, Travillas, and
Lilburns, for whom some pleasant family
parties were held, after which all settled down
for the winter's duties and pleasures.
The captain continued to act as tutor to
Evelyn and his daughters, but Rosie had for-
saken the schoolroom, Walter was no longer
there, and for a time it seemed a trifle lonely
to the remaining ones. They soon, however,
became accustomed to the state of affairs, and
so deeply interested in their studies that the
hours devoted to them passed very swiftly and
pleasantly.
They also resumed their labors for the poor
and ignorant of the neighborhood, making
clothing for them, and teaching the women and
girls to sew for themselves and their families,
at the same time cultivating their minds and
hearts to some extent, by taking turns in read-
ing aloud to them simple and instructive tales
of value for this life and the next.
It was Grandma Elsie who selected the read-
ing matter and took the care and oversight of
all the charitable work of her young friends
ON INLAND WATERS. 283
directing, encouraging, and urging them on,
by both precept and example.
How dearly they loved her! It might be
truly said of her, as of the virtuous woman
described in the last chapter of Proverbs : " She
openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her
tongue is the law of kindness."
I
THE
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