rge trees, and there they
stood for an hour, each afraid of the other. This quiet mode of warfare
did not suit the restless Whetzel, and he set his invention to work to
terminate it. Placing his bear-skin cap on the end of his ramrod, he
protruded it slightly and cautiously as if he was putting his head to
reconnoitre, and yet was hesitating in the venture. The simple savage was
completely deceived. As soon as he saw the cap, he fired and it fell.
Whetzel then sprang forward to the astonished red man, and with a shot
from the unerring rifle brought him to the ground quite dead. The
triumphant ranger then pursued his march homeward.

But it was in a deliberate attack upon a party of four Indians that our
hero displayed the climax of daring and resolution. While on a fall hunt,
on the Muskingum, he came upon a camp of four savages, and with but little
hesitation resolved to attempt their destruction. He concealed himself
till midnight, and then stole cautiously upon the sleepers. As quick as
thought, he cleft the skull of one of them. A second met the same fate,
and as a third attempted to rise, confused by the horrid yells, which
Whetzel gave with his blows, the tomahawk stretched him in death. The
fourth Indian darted into the darkness of the wood and escaped, although
Whetzel pursued him for some distance. Returning to camp, the ranger
scalped his victims and then left for home. When asked on his return,
"What luck?" he replied, "Not much. I treed four Indians, and one got
away." Where shall we look for deeds of equal daring and hardihood?
Martin, Jacob, and John Whetzel were bold warriors; and in the course of
the Indian war, they secured many scalps; but they never obtained the
reputation possessed by their brother, Lewis. All must condemn cruelty
wherever displayed, but it is equally our duty to render just admiration
to courage, daring, and indomitable energy, qualities in which the Whetzel
brothers have rarely if ever been excelled.

[Illustration: LEWIS WHETZEL'S STRATAGEM.]

General Clark, the companion of Lewis in the celebrated tour across the
Rocky Mountains, having heard much of Lewis Whetzel, in Kentucky,
determined to secure his services for the exploring expedition. After
considerable hesitation, Whetzel consented to go, and accompanied the
party during the first three months' travel, but then declined going any
further, and returned home. Shortly after this, he left again on a
flat-boat, and never retu