Tombstone epitaph., 1917-04-22
CHAPTER x.
The Cougar crouehes.

. sQualid tepee In the forest, once were given three sons at a birth. One of the three died In infancy; two lived to become the most famous leaders the terrible inhabitants of the forest will derness ever knew. As one of the two grew to manhood and forced his way to the head of his tribe by his daring, his cunning. his matchless eloQuence and power, the red man. with his love of imagery in names, chose the cou- gar. the panther. the great cat of the forest as the fitting type of the chief whose ightest word was law.
 The cougari It was from this demo- niac beast that the Shawnee chief received his name-Tecumseh, "the cougar about to spring"
 A Yankee surveyor predicted one day an eclipse of the sun. Tecum- seh's brother. on account of his ire quent drunken babbllngs. had been dubbed ''The Open Door," but a glim- mer of shrewdness lighted up his rum sodden brain at the words of the white man; he returned to his tribe. and say Ing to all who would listen that he had been given a message from the Great Manitou himself. prophesied that on . certain day the sky would be darkened-a sign that he, ''The Open Door," was divine and was henceforth to lead his people. They laughed; but the darkness came as he had foretold, and from that day he was looked up to by every warrior in he forest as the greatest of conjurers. He was no longer called "The Open Door," but Elkskatawa. "The Loud Voice." and his voice in council was the voice of authority. But years had now passed; and he prayed In secret for another sign to bolster up his wavering strength.
 The white men came farther and farther into the wilderness, reared their cabins Tn greater and greater numbers in the red mans forest, bar tered and bought larger and larger terttortes from the stupid savage, who reached out eagerly for a handful of toys. a jug of the white mans fiery drink, and gave in return the countless acres of his hunting ground. But now for years his dumb resentment grew more and more bitter. To Tecumseh and his brother. Elkskatawa, the Prophet, the red men looked impatient ly for a leadership which should re strain the encroaching settler, or which might even regain for them their lost lands.
 The young warriors could not wait for council; here and there they struck down a settler, took woman captive. dashed out the b-oins of child, and hurried back into the forest. To liar rison in Vincennes came Tecumseh for council and promised redress: then slipped away to the South, down the great river, to the tribes along the Gulf, to implore them to stand with their brothers of the North against the white mans advance. The Prophet meanwhile remained at his village. I2O miles north of yincennes, and spent the time in incantations and ominous mutterings; and the little town of yiacennes lay in anxious uncertainty on the banks of the Wabash river. down which came the news of the Prophets restless plotting.
 The little village presented a scene of the most unusual activity. Here and there in vacant fields the various companies of the territorial militia were drilling-four companies of mounted men and eight of infantry a force of some six hundred men, which Harrison had caused to be as- semhled hastily.
 Women and children stood watching the evolutions of the volunteers. The French inhabitants chattered away in tremendous excitement As far as military drill and accouterment were concerned, the men were ridieulously awkward and untrained. They could not keep step to save their souls, and only one of the twelve companies made my pretense at a uniform; this one was the company commanded by Spier Spencer of Corydon. These wore yell low hunting shirts trimmed with red feathers; they were promptly dubbed 'the Yellow Jackets" and were marked men But the rest wore whatey CT tlothts they NtIt pDssssStU Ol III tAch daily life-tow jeans or linsey-woolsey. or the hunters dress of tapned deer skin; and each man carried the rife of his choice. firearms of every make and of any length of barrel.
 One morning was enlivened by a shooting match. Someone got a white wood plank. and pacing of co yards, propped 1t up firmly. A circle ten Inches in diameter was smeared on the board with wet powder. and in the center of this black spot bit of white paper. the size of a dollar. was pinned. One after another of the awk. Eard nailitiarnen stepped to the line and fired. seemingly without pausing to aim. Not . man failed to send his bullet into the white. Then the tar get was moved 10 80 yards distance then a hundred: and the deadly accu- racy continued. as the better marks men took their turns. And then they tossed pieces of wood Into the air These. too, came down pierced by the miraculous bullets.
 The afternoons passed in the same -~.,. o< erpproSSod aycStamenf I'm