Outdoor Life and Indian Stories / Making open air life attractive to young Americans by telling them all about woodcraft, signs and signaling, the stars, fishing, camping, camp cooking, how to tie knots and how to make fire without matches, and many other fascinating open air pursuits. Also, stories of noted hunters and scouts, great indians and warriors, including Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, General Custer, Pontiac, Tecumseh, King Philip, Black Hawk, Brandt, Sitting Bull, and a host of others whose names are famous; all of them true and interesting

by Edward Sylvester Ellis

ON THE WARPATH

Few of the scowling Indians gathered round grasped the full meaning of this surrender. They could not understand how it was that a force so much larger than the English could yield to them. Another mystery was, why, after the French had submitted and laid down their arms, the English did not put every one to death. That was the fashion among the red men, with whom mercy is a failing of which few are guilty at any time.

There was one, however, in the dusky swarm who understood it all. "Because the English have conquered the French everywhere else," thought Pontiac, "those that are here are compelled to yield. The English will now become the masters of the Indians, and we have much more reason to hate them than we have to hate the French."

The words of the Ottawa were true. The French from the first were wiser than their rivals in dealing with the red men. Naturally, therefore, the latter were generally the allies of the French in the wars between the two nations. Believing that the new masters would act cruelly—and there was good ground for such belief—Pontiac formed his great conspiracy. Like King Philip, three-quarters of a century before, his plan was to unite all the tribes he could reach into a confederation for keeping Detroit and all the western posts in the hands of the French, who had treated them better than the English. It was a plot of magnitude.

In the formation of this conspiracy, Pontiac had the aid, to a certain extent, of the French themselves. They were soured because of their defeat, and many of the officers could not justify France in thus throwing away a continent. They were sure that with the help of the Indians, it could have been held against their rivals. Such, also, was the unshakable belief of Pontiac. But he went farther than his white friends. He was certain that although some of the forts had been given up, they could be retaken from the English and turned over again to the French. In reaching this belief, the Ottawa forgot the laws of civilized warfare. He reasoned as an Indian.

Like King Philip also, he understood the necessity of thorough preparation. The plot would be ruined by impatience or by a blow delivered too soon. Weeks and months, and possibly years, were necessary to bring his plans to a head. He would not require the time taken by Opecancanough, but he meant to use all that was needed.

Pontiac's plan in brief was that the blow at all the western posts should be struck on the same day. Thus there would be no time for the forts to send warning to one another, or to give mutual help. Indeed, these forest garrisons were as a rule so weak that they were sure to have all they could do, after being warned of their danger, to defend themselves.

Pontiac set grimly to work. He held under his direct control the Ottawas, Ojibwas and Pottawatomies,—all powerful tribes, who could be counted upon to do his will. But he needed many more warriors, and he set out to gain them. He plotted and schemed for nearly two years before sending his ambassadors to the more distant tribes. To each he gave as his credentials a tomahawk painted red, and a wampum war belt.