“Don’t be silly,” exclaimed Joseph in alarm. “At any rate we couldn’t fire without orders.”
“Isn’t it weird?” said Mason.
The harangue continued uninterruptedly while the army sat and quaked with fear. At any moment the men expected to be set upon by a band of bloodthirsty Sacs. Some of the more timid were in favor of decamping at once. So great was the alarm in the camp that General Henry found it necessary to deliver a patriotic speech to rally the sinking spirits of his men.
“Don’t you understand what the voice is saying, Deerfoot?” inquired John Mason at last.
“Me no understand,” answered Deerfoot, and in fact he was apparently just as much puzzled as all the others at the strange performance.
Suddenly the harangue ceased. For over an hour it had continued without interruption, but just before daylight the speaker stopped talking and the voice was heard no more. Until broad daylight appeared the army anxiously awaited the expected attack. It did not come, however. Scouts could discover no Indians in the neighborhood and the purpose of the harangue remained as great a mystery as ever.
On the twenty-third of July, General Henry’s corps set out for Blue Mounds to secure provisions. Mason, Joseph, Robert and Deerfoot went with this detachment and arriving there that evening were joined by Generals Atkinson and Alexander. The two commanders had heard of the rapid pursuit of Black Hawk and had hastily set out from Lake Koshkonong to join the victorious army.
General Atkinson at once assumed command of all the forces collected at Blue Mounds. He distributed rations and ordered the pursuit at once to be resumed. The army departed and during the days of July twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth crossed the Wisconsin River. Rafts, made from the log houses at the deserted village of Helena, carried the army across the stream. The advance was continued and General Henry’s brigade was ordered to bring up the rear in charge of the baggage.
“Why do you suppose they put us back here?” exclaimed Robert hotly. “We have done most of the fighting and this is our reward. Now if we catch up with Black Hawk again those others will have first chance and will get all the glory. We’ll be left out of it almost entirely.”
“You just said why it was done,” remarked John Mason quietly.