Page:History of the Ojibway Nation.djvu/159

Rh on them and attacking their fort at Wow-e-yat-ton-ong or Detroit, which was only saved by the combined efforts of the O-dah-wahs and Ojibways under the leadership of the renowned Pontiac, who had already at this period, 1745, commenced to carve out the renown which he eventually attained.

It is shortly after this period that the O-dug-am-ees again incurred the vengeance of the Ojibways, who a second time attacked and swept away their villages. It has been stated that on their being driven from the headwaters of the St. Croix and Chippeway rivers, they had retired to the Wisconsin and into the country bordering on Lake Michigan. The tradition of their second invasion by the Ojibways, is given as follows by the old Indian story tellers:—

An old Ojibway hunter with his wife, two sons, and their families, were one winter hunting about the head lakes of the Wisconsin River. As they searched for game they moved from camp to camp by slow and easy stages, and being of a fearless disposition, they formed the southern vanguard of numerous other families similarly employed and following slowly in their wake.

They had arrived in the vicinity of the usual hunting grounds of the O-dug-am-ees, and now at every camp they formed a barrier of logs and bushes to shield them from a sudden attack of their enemies. One morning early, one of the sons of the old hunter, as usual, put on his moccasins, tied his blanket around his body, and, shouldering his gun, started on his day’s hunt. It was snowing heavily, and the rest of the family remained at home. The hunter had been gone but a short time when he returned, and, without saying a word, sat down in his usual place, and commenced whittling his bullets so that they could be easily and quickly thrown into his gun. When he had finished this work, he took his gun, drew out the load, and carefully