From a distant shore, Tecumseh witnessed Perry’s wonderful naval battle; but of course could not determine which had been victorious.  Proctor, to reconcile the chief, said: 

“My fleet has whipped the Americans; but the vessels being much injured, have gone into Put-in Bay to refit and will be here in a few days.”

[Illustration:  TECUMSEH.]

This base falsehood did not deceive the wily Indian.  The sagacious eye of Tecumseh soon perceived indications of a retreat.  He finally demanded, in the name of the Indians under his command, to be heard, and on September 18, 1813, delivered to Proctor, as the representative of their great father, the king, the following speech: 

“Father, listen to your children.  You have them now all before you.  The war before this, our British father gave the hatchet to his red children, when our old chiefs were alive.  They are now dead.  In that war our father was thrown on his back by the Americans, and our father took them by the hand without our knowledge, and we are afraid that our father will do so again at this time.  Summer before last, when I came forward with my red brethren and was ready to take up the hatchet in favor of our British father, we were told not to be in a hurry, that he had not yet determined to fight the Americans.  Listen! when war was declared, our father stood up and gave us the tomahawk, and told us that he was ready to strike the Americans; that he wanted our assistance, and that he would certainly get our lands back which the Americans had taken from us.  Listen! you told us at that time, to bring forward our families to this place, and we did so; and you promised to take care of them, and they should want for nothing, while the men would go and fight the enemy; that we need not trouble ourselves about the enemies’ garrisons; that we knew nothing about them, and that our father would attend to that part of the business.  You also told your red children that you should take good care of your garrison here, which made our hearts glad.  Listen! when we were last at the rapids, it is true, we gave you little assistance.  It is hard to fight people who live like ground-hogs.  Father, listen!  Our fleet has gone out; we know they have fought; we have heard their great guns; but we know nothing of what has happened to our father (Commodore Barclay) with one arm.

“Our ships have gone one way, and we are much astonished to see our father tying up everything and preparing to run away the other, without letting his red children know what his intentions are.  You always told us to remain here and take care of our lands; it made our hearts glad to hear that was your wish.  Our great father, the king, is the head, and you represent him.  You always told us you would never draw your foot off British ground; but now, father, we see that you are drawing back, and we are sorry to see our father doing so without seeing the enemy.  We must compare your conduct to a