n after new victims, braining and scalping all that came
within his reach.

At the river the carnage was in no wise abated. Horsemen and footmen,
victors and vanquished, rushed down the slope, pell-mell, and plunged
into the stream--some striving for life and liberty, some for death and
vengeance--and the dark rolling waters went sweeping on, colored with
the blood of the slaughtered.

An act of heroic gallantry and presence of mind here occurred, which
has often been mentioned in history, tending to check somewhat the
blood-thirsty savages, and give many of the fugitives time to escape.
Some twelve or fifteen horsemen had already passed the ford in safety,
and were in the act of spurring forward, regardless of the fate of their
unfortunate companions on foot, when one of their number, a man by the
name of Netherland, who had previously been accused of cowardice,
suddenly shouted, as if giving the word of command:

"Halt! Fire on the Indians, and protect the men in the river!"

The order was obeyed, in the same spirit it was given; and the sudden
discharge of more than a dozen rifles, made the infuriated savages
recoil in dismay, and thereby saved many a poor fellow's life. The
reaction, however, speedily followed. Many of the savages now swam the
river above and below the ford, and gave chase to the fugitives for
fifteen and even twenty miles--though with but little success after
crossing the stream--as the latter generally plunged into the
neighboring thickets, and so eluded the vigilance of the former.

Such were the general features of the disastrous battle of Blue Licks--a
battle of dreadful import to the pioneers of Kentucky--which threw the
land into mourning, and made a most solemn and startling impression upon
the minds of its inhabitants. Had we space to chronicle individual
heroism, we might fill page after page with brave and noble
achievements; but as it is, we shall confine ourself to those connected
with our most prominent characters.

We have stated previously, that Algernon Reynolds fought in the left
wing, under the command of Boone; where, for the few minutes which the
action lasted, he sustained himself with great gallantry; and, by his
undaunted courage, inspired those immediately around him with like
ardor. On the retreat of the whites, he found himself cut off from the
river by a large body of Indians, headed by his old foe, Simon Girty,
who, having recognized him, was now pressing forward w