“Cass is a man of action,” agreed Whistler. “I have an idea that he’ll send out General Winfield Scott, famous old Fuss and Feathers, with a strong body of regulars.”
“An’ how ’bout gittin’ word to Gov’ner Reynolds at Vandalia?” offered Bill. “It’ll be up to him to call fer volunteers, if the Hawk breaks loose.”[A]
[A] Vandalia was the first capital of the State of Illinois.
“Yes, that is the duty of the governor of the state. I must get dispatches to him without delay.”
There was some further talk about Black Hawk, mostly speculation as to what his plan of campaign would be, in case he unsheathed his scalping-knife. Then Brown and the two boys took leave of Whistler, after being assigned by him as roving scouts, to accompany the coming foray of the sixty troopers.
“Many of these soldiers are greenhorns, fresh from the east,” stated the Major to the frontiersman. “The aid of a veteran scout like you will be invaluable to them, I am sure.”
By the time the three had left the fort and returned to their lodgings, it was early afternoon.
“Let’s grab a snack,” proposed Ben, “and then hot-foot it to the Pottawattomee village.”
“Say, it’s good you thought of that, Ben,” observed Tom. “We did tell Bright Star that we’d be out to see him this afternoon.”
“I reckon I’ll trot along, too,” declared Bill Brown. “I have several good friends amongst the Pottawattomees. Mebbe, twixt the three of us, we kin pick up some news that’ll be more er less useful to the Major.”