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practice deception upon them; therefore, he was ready, keeping continually on the watch.
The Indian who got away from the fight, went to the village. They called the hunters and all their chiefs and braves
in council, and inquired of the escaped Indian where the other eight Osage warriors were. His testimony was something
like this: that they had gone to where the white man made the paper-talk; the white man gave them fire-water -- heap; Osage
big; mighty fight -- heap; we find one pale-face pappoose; whisky too much; we fetch her; me sleep one time; one pale face
come from the Great Spirit, with his big gun; Osage put the muzzle of their guns against his body, and all fired and
didn't kill him; Osage ball no kill big Thunder; Big Thunder shoot gun-lock, gun-stock at Osage; kill Osage with the barrel
till all gone; Osage no kill Big Thunder! That was his oath before the nation, that he couldn't be killed; but
in council they supposed the witness had spoken the truth. But their eight warriors were gone to the happy hunting ground,
and would see no deer till their deaths could be revenged. Big Thunder must die; his squaw and pappooses must
die, or the great spirit would be mad at the Osage.
Blundo, their great war chief, made a speech to them and gave orders for two hundred of the
mightiest braves of the great Osage nation to put their best flints in, and be ready. Your great chief will lead
you. They paint black; they tread the path of death.
By this time we had good news at the Fort. As a present sent from Heaven, six young men came to our asssistance,
well armed, -- the right men in the right place -- Doxey, Jamison, Moody, Carmen, and two of the Browder boys -- and, they
come to see us through! We had now ten good fighters; we had no fears; we itched for an attack. We didn't have
to wait long. Two hundred warriors, in deep black, marched up the hollow, looking very fierce and brave, Blundo leading
them, simply demanding the scalps of Big Thunder and family. The Ringtail marched out to meet him, which they did not
expect. He got to the end of the trail by the time they got to the center of the buried powder. With his nine
men, he waved them to stop. Blundow made a partial halt,and, in a loud voice, said--"Big Thunder has killed our brave; the
Great spirit is mad; we come! At that instant the ten whites, with a solid fire, and yelling "Big Thunder comes!"
The powder was touched--the mountains quaked; the trees,
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