Produced by David Garcia, Jennie Gottschalk and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital Library) Transcriber's Note: Small spelling and punctuation errors have been silently corrected. Spelling errors are listed at the end of the file. Bold text is marked as =text=, and italics are _text_. Complete in one Number. Price, 5 Cents. [Illustration: NICKEL LIBRARY] Entered according to Act of Congress by PICTORIAL PRINTING CO. In the office of the Librarian at Washington. D. C., in the year 1877 SERIES ONE. CHICAGO. NUMBER 17 LITTLE OSKALOO,[A] OR, THE WHITE WHIRLWIND. BY T. C. HARBAUGH. [A] Changed from LITTLE MOCCASIN. [Illustration: =THE TRAILERS OF THE FOREST.--See page 4.=] CHAPTER I. HISTORY AND A MYSTERY. If, in the month of July, 1794, an observing white man could have traveled unmolested from the banks of the Ohio river due north to the famous Maumee rapids, he would have been struck with the wonderful activity manifested in the various Indian villages on his route. No signs of idleness would have greeted his eye; the young warrior did not recline in the shadow of his birchen lodge enjoying the comforts of summer life in mid forest. If his image was reflected in the clear streams, it was but for a moment, as his lithe canoe shot from bank to bank. Everything between the two rivers portended war. Indian runners were constantly departing and arriving at the several native villages, and excited groups of Shawnees, Delawares and Wyandots discussed--not the latest deer trails nor the next moon-feast, but the approaching contest for the mastery of power. A few years had passed away since they had met and conquered Harmar and St. Clair. Those bloody victories had rendered the Indian bold and aggressive. He believed himself invincible, and pointed with pride to the scalps taken on the ill-fated 4th of November, '91. But a new foe had advanced from the south--treading in the tracks of St. Clair's butchered troops, but with his stern eye fixed on victory. The Indians were beginning to exhibit signs of alarm--signs first exhibited at the British posts in the "Northwestern Territory," where the powers and generalship of Wayne were known and acknowledged. It was the impetuous, Mad Anthony who led the advancing columns through the Ohio forests. He had entered the blood-drenched territory with the victory of Stony Point to urge him on to nobler deeds, and with the firm determination of punishing the tribes, as well as of avenging the defeat of his predecessors. Tidings of his advance spread like wildfire from village to village, and councils became the order of day and night alike.