In the meantime, Mr. Stuart, who had remained at the foot of the falls with the goods, and who knew that the proffered assistance of the savages was only for the purpose of having an opportunity to plunder, determined, if possible, to steal a march upon them, and defeat their machinations.  In the dead of the night, therefore, about one o’clock, the moon shining brightly, he roused his party, and proposed that they should endeavor to transport the goods themselves, above the falls, before the sleeping savages could be aware of their operations.  All hands sprang to the work with zeal, and hurried it on in the hope of getting all over before daylight.  Mr. Stuart went forward with the first loads, and took his station at the head of the portage, while Mr. Reed and Mr. M’Lellan remained at the foot to forward the remainder.

The day dawned before the transportation was completed.  Some of the fifty Indians who had remained on the south side of the river, perceived what was going on, and, feeling themselves too weak for an attack, gave the alarm to those on the opposite side, upwards of a hundred of whom embarked in several large canoes.  Two loads of goods yet remained to be brought up.  Mr. Stuart despatched some of the people for one of the loads, with a request to Mr. Reed to retain with him as many of the men as he thought necessary to guard the remaining load, as he suspected hostile intentions on the part of the Indians.  Mr. Reed, however, refused to retain any of them, saying that M’Lellan and himself were sufficient to protect the small quantity that remained.  The men accordingly departed with the load, while Mr. Reed and M’Lellan continued to mount guard over the residue.  By this time, a number of the canoes had arrived from the opposite side.  As they approached the shore, the unlucky tin box of John Reed, shining afar like the brilliant helmet of Euryalus, caught their eyes.  No sooner did the canoes touch the shore, than they leaped forward on the rocks, set up a war-whoop, and sprang forward to secure the glittering prize.  Mr. M’Lellan, who was at the river bank, advanced to guard the goods, when one of the savages at tempted to hoodwink him with his buffalo robe with one hand, and to stab him with the other.  M’Lellan sprang back just far enough to avoid the blow, and raising his rifle, shot the ruffian through the heart.

In the meantime, Reed, who with the want of forethought of an Irishman, had neglected to remove the leathern cover from the lock of his rifle, was fumbling at the fastenings, when he received a blow on the head with a war club that laid him senseless on the ground.  In a twinkling he was stripped of his rifle and pistols, and the tin box, the cause of all this onslaught, was borne off in triumph.