The next morning we were in no great hurry to decamp, as we intended to go no farther than the Great Island that day. By this retardment each man had time to put his arms in proper order. We set out about eleven o’clock, and, after four or five miles march, Ostenaco desired me to go before, to see if any of the enemy were there. The northern Indians being at peace with us, was urged as a sufficient protection, tho’, at setting out, they seemed a little apprehensive of my falling into such desperadoes hands, or rather of their losing their share of the presents. I was to tell the enemy, if I met them, that the Cherokees were but few in number, and but indifferently armed; after which Sumpter and I were furnished with horses, and went forward pretty briskly, till we reached Holston’s River, the crossing place of which was within a mile of Fort Robinson. We had not forded above half-way over, when we heard the report of a gun, which made us conclude that our suspicions of the enemy’s being there were but too justly grounded; we rode gently towards the fort to make our observations; but no enemy appearing, on entering the clear ground about the fort, and perceiving some smoak from one of the chimnies, we rode within an hundred yards of it, and hallowed, but nobody appearing, we went to the gate, and gave another hoop, which, to my great surprise, instead of the enemy, brought a white man out of one of the houses, whom I immediately recollected to be M’Lamore the interpreter, that accompanied the discomfited party of Cherokees, I lately mentioned, to Virginia, and he was soon followed by the man who had fired the gun. I returned to the party, highly satisfied at my good fortune, in not being obliged to displease the Indians, by breaking thro’ so disagreeable and dangerous a commission, who had already crossed the river when I joined them. We found in the fort eleven or twelve hundred weight of flour, left by the garrison when they evacuated the place, which abundantly recompensed the Indians for all their fatigues.