Colonel Clark was quick to take advantage of the Indians’ confusion. He prepared a letter to be sent to the tribes, telling them to lay down their tomahawks and ally themselves with him, or to fight like men for the English. Jim Hudson made several copies of this letter, which Clark sent by him and other messengers to the different tribes. The Kickapoos and Piankeshaws signed treaties immediately with the Long-Knives. Other tribes, however——the Chippewas, Ottawas, Potawatomis, Sacs and Foxes——came into Cahokia and demanded a council with Clark. They wanted to see the chief Long-Knife and to hear what he had to say. Colonel Clark sent word to them that he would attend their council, but he took his time about going to Cahokia to meet with them. He thought it would be well for the Indians to wait on him. After a while he took Jim Hudson, some of his officers and many of his soldiers to Cahokia, which had sworn allegiance to him through Captain Bowman. Clark’s new headquarters were in a house beside the Cahokia River. In a few days a band of Winnebagos, often called Stinkers by the French, pitched camp in a Frenchman’s yard, just across the road from Clark’s headquarters. When Jim Hudson saw the Indians he was frightened and said to Colonel Clark, “I don’t think those Stinkers should camp so near you, sir. They might attack us. We don’t have many soldiers here.” The colonel’s eyes twinkled. “How right you are, Jim. I think they have something like that in mind. Perhaps they want to kidnap me so I can’t appear at the council.” Jim shivered. “Oh, sir! Can’t you recall some of the men you have stationed around the town?” “Jim, you have the mark of a military man,” Colonel Clark replied. “That’s what I intend to do, but I don’t want these Stinkers to know about my reinforcements. You go to my captains now and tell them to send several guard details to my headquarters as soon as it is dark. Tell them to come in one by one at the rear.” “Yes, sir,” Jim replied, glad to have an errand and to know they were to have more soldiers at headquarters. He dashed out to find Captain Helm and Simon Kenton. That evening fifty guards began filtering into headquarters, some to conceal themselves in the house, others to stand in the darkness outside. Although Clark walked alone about the yard, nothing happened. The next night the guards again took up their same stations. Colonel Clark stayed up late, supposedly working on reports. Jim couldn’t sleep, so he went to the window and stared out into the night. About one o’clock shots were fired across the river. In a few minutes Jim saw some skulking figures in the headquarters yard. He wanted to scream, but Clark himself gave the alarm. Immediately the guards appeared from all sides of the building. They succeeded in capturing three of the Stinkers and hustled them into headquarters. The shots and ensuing racket awakened the town; some of the citizens hurried to headquarters to see what was the matter.