behind barns, outhouses, and fences. For six hours they
kept up a continuous fire on the garrison, but wounded
only five men. The fort vigorously returned the fire,
and none of the enemy dared attempt to rush the palisades.
A cluster of buildings in the rear sheltered a particularly
ferocious set of savages. A three-pounder--the only
effective artillery in the fort--was trained on this
position; spikes were bound together with wire, heated
red-hot, and fired at the buildings. These were soon a
mass of flames, and the savages concealed behind them
fled for their lives.

Presently the Indians grew tired of this useless warfare
and withdrew to their villages. Gladwyn, thinking that
he might bring Pontiac to terms, sent La Butte to ask
the cause of the attack and to say that the British were
ready to redress any wrongs from which the Indians might
be suffering. La Butte was accompanied by Jean Baptiste
Chapoton, a captain of the militia and a man of some
importance in the fort, and Jacques Godfroy, a trader
and likewise an officer of militia. It may be noted that
Godfroy's wife was the daughter of a Miami chief. The
ambassadors were received in a friendly manner by Pontiac,
who seemed ready to cease hostilities. La Butte returned
to the fort with some of the chiefs to report progress;
but when he went again to Pontiac he found that the Ottawa
chief had made no definite promise. It seems probable,
judging from their later actions, that Chapoton and
Godfroy had betrayed Gladwyn and urged Pontiac to force
the British out of the country. Pontiac now requested