"All this deceived the men on the _Scorpion_; they thought the _Tigress_ was still in the hands of their comrades, and when within two miles anchored for the night. At dawn the next morning the British ran the _Tigress_ down alongside of her, the concealed soldiers ran out from their hiding-places, rushed on board the _Scorpion_, and in a few minutes the British flag was floating over her."
"And the British were very jubilant over the capture, as I remember reading," remarked Violet.
"And not very truthful in their report of it," added Walter. "Lossing says Adjutant-General Baynes actually reported in a general order that the vessels had crews of 300 each; only exaggerating 570 in stating the aggregate of the crews of the two schooners."
But just here the talk was interrupted by the not unwelcome summons to their evening meal.
As they left the table and gathered upon deck on the evening of the next day, the captain announced that they were nearing Mackinaw.
"I am glad of that, papa," said Grace; "for we shall have a lovely view of it by moonlight."
"Are we going to stop there, sir?" asked Walter.
"Not unless someone particularly desires it," returned the captain; "but we will pass slowly and quite near, so that we may all have a good view of it. Ah! it can be seen in the distance now," he added, pointing it out.
"And though the sun has set the moon will, as Gracie says, give us a lovely view of it," remarked Violet.
"Yes, she is nearly full," said the captain, glancing skyward, "which will help us to a more vivid conception of how things looked to Darman when he set out for Fort St. Joseph, on the 16th of July, 1812."
"I'm glad of that," said Lucilla. "I want to be able to imagine just how things looked at that time."
"Yes," said Grace, "but it is far more delightful to know that no war is going on now, and we are in no danger from either civilized or savage foes."
"It is indeed!" responded her father. "Peace is a great blessing; war a dreadful scourge."
"It is an Indian name the island bears, is it not, captain?" asked Evelyn.
"Yes; and the meaning is the Great Turtle, alluding to its shape. Notice that as we approach, and see if you do not think the name appropriate."
"To the tongue of which of the Indian tribes does the name belong, sir?" asked Walter.