“Good!” praised Whistler. “That’s the proper spirit. We’ll need every man who can tote a gun, if this plot of Black Hawk’s develops as he plans.”
“What steps do you aim to take?” questioned Brown.
“My first move,” the officer responded, “will be to send a detachment of sixty mounted troops—all I can spare from the garrison—straight across country to Rock River.”
“A smart plan,” nodded the giant scout approvingly. “If the Hawk ain’t already raised his war-cry, that may make him think twice, afore he does it.”
“It will take perhaps three days to organize this expedition. Meanwhile, I’m sending urgent dispatches east to the Secretary of War, Mr. Lewis Cass at Washington.”
“Cass is a western man,” commented Brown.
“Yes, he was once Governor of Michigan Territory.”
“He’ll see right off that big things is in the air,” declared the scout.
“I think so.”
“Oh, he knows that Black Hawk ’ll be a tough foe, an’ that this won’t be no taffy-pull.”