rising in him, he broke out suddenly, "_It's all over--St. Clair's
defeated--routed;--the officers nearly all killed, the men by wholesale;
the route complete--too shocking to think of--and a surprise into the
bargain_!"

He uttered all this with great vehemence. Then he paused, got up from
the sofa and walked about the room several times, agitated but saying
nothing. Near the door he stopped short and stood still a few seconds,
when his wrath became terrible.

"_Yes_," he burst forth, "HERE _on this very spot, I took leave of him;
I wished him success and honor; you have your instructions, I said, from
the Secretary of War, I had a strict eye to them, and will add but one
word_--BEWARE OF A SURPRISE. _I repeat it_, BEWARE OF A SURPRISE--_you
know how the Indians fight us. He went off with that as my last solemn
warning thrown into his ears. And yet!! to suffer that army to be cut to
pieces, hack'd, butchered, tomahawk'd, by a surprise--the very thing I
guarded him against!! O God, O God, he's worse than a murderer! how can
he answer it to his country;--the blood of the slain is upon him--the
curse of widows and orphans--the curse of Heaven_!"

This torrent came out in tones appalling. His very frame shook. It was
awful, said Mr. Lear. More than once he threw his hands up as he hurled
imprecations upon St. Clair. Mr. Lear remained speechless; awed into
breathless silence.

The roused Chief sat down on the sofa once more. He seemed conscious of
his passion, and uncomfortable. He was silent. His warmth beginning to
subside, he at length said in an altered voice: "_This must not go
beyond this room_." Another pause followed--a longer one--when he said