men, half of them recruits, to be scattered between Madison, Armstrong
and Crawford. Say we are lucky enough to get a hundred or a hundred
and fifty of them stationed here. Why, man, there are five hundred
warriors in Black Hawk's camp at this minute, and that is only fifteen
miles away. Within ten days he could rally to him Kickapoos,
Potawatamies and Winnebagoes in sufficient force to crush us like an
eggshell. Why, Gaines ought to be here himself, with a thousand
regulars behind him."

"Surely we can defend Armstrong," broke in a confident voice. "The
savages would have to attack in canoes."

Hartley turned, and confronted the speaker.

"In canoes!" he exclaimed. "Why, may I ask? With three hundred men
here in garrison, how many could we spare to patrol the island? Not a
corporal's guard, if we retained enough to prevent an open assault on
the fort. On any dark night they could land every warrior unknown to
us. The Hawk knows that."

His voice had scarcely ceased when the boat whistle sounded hoarse from
the landing below. Grasping my kit I shook hands all around, and left
them, hastening across the parade to the office. Ten minutes later I
crossed the gangplank, and put foot for the first time on the deck of
the _Warrior_. Evidently the crew had been awaiting my arrival to push
off, for instantly the whistle shrieked again, and immediately after
the boat began to churn its way out into the river current, with bow
pointing down stream. Little groups of officers and enlisted men
gathered high up on the rocky headland to watch us getting under way,
and I lingered beside the rail, waving to them, as the struggling boat