a trail, as if something had been dragged away, and at a little
distance they came upon the big Indian, covered up with leaves. About a
hundred yards farther, they found the Indian Joe had crippled, lying on
his back, with his own knife sticking up to the hilt in his body, just
below the breast bone, evidently to show that he had killed himself. Some
years after this fight, Big Joe Logston lost his life in a contest with a
gang of outlaws. He was one of those characters who were necessary to the
settlement of the west, but who would not have been highly esteemed in
civilized society.

[Illustration: INDIAN IN AMBUSH]

JESSE HUGHES.

Jesse Hughes was born and reared in Clarksburgh, Harrison county,
Virginia, on the head-waters of the Monongahela. He was a light-built,
active man, and from his constant practice became one of the best hunters
and Indian fighters on the frontier. Having a perfect knowledge of all the
artifices of the Indians, he was quick to devise expedients to frustrate
them. Of this, the following exploit is an illustration. At a time of
great danger from Indian incursions, when the citizens in the neighborhood
where in a fort at Clarksburgh, Hughes one morning observed a lad very
hurriedly engaged in fixing his gun.

"Jim," said he, "what are you doing that for?"

"I am going to shoot a turkey that I hear gobbling on the hill side,"
replied Jim.

"I hear no turkey," said Hughes.

"Listen," said Jim. "There, didn't you hear it? Listen again!"

"Well," said Hughes, after hearing it repeated, "I'll go and kill it."

"No you won't. It's my turkey. I heard it first," said Jim.

"Well," said Hughes, "but you know I am the best marksman; and besides, I
don't want the turkey, you may have it."

The lad then agreed that Hughes should go and kill it for him. Hughes went
out of the fort on the side that was farthest from the supposed turkey,
and running along the river, went up a ravine and came in on the rear,
where, as he expected, he saw an Indian, sitting on a chestnut stump,
surrounded by sprouts, gobbling and watching to see if any one would come
from the fort to kill the turkey. Hughes crept up and shot him dead. The
successful ranger then took off the scalp, and went into the fort, where
Jim was waiting for the prize.

"There, now," said Jim, "you have let the turkey go. I would have killed
it if I had gone."

"No," said Hughes, "I didn't let it go," and he threw down the scalp.
"T