a wise
leader of pioneers, and others of but slightly less distinction in the
eyes of the hardy men who had gathered under their leadership.

All day long the battle raged there among the trees of the forest. The
colonists could hear the voice of Cornstalk as he passed from tree to
tree among his men, encouraging them. Rarely did they see more of
their foes than a coppery gleam from behind a tree trunk, perchance
the arm or leg of a savage or a glimpse of his warlock, and it was
sure death to leave the shelter of the trees.

Toward night the company, with which David Allison at the time was
associated, was ordered to make a flank movement. This was done
with great difficulty and danger. When the movement was nearly
accomplished, the men leaping from tree to tree as they advanced,
he fell with a bullet through the neck. A brawny savage leaped from
his cover, knife in hand and greedy for a fresh scalp, when a ball
from a colonist's gun stopped him half-way and he too went down in
the brush by the side of his victim. Over them leaped friend and foe
without heeding.

Allison had fallen into a depression between two little knolls and the
savage in falling had swept the bushes down over him so that he was
covered from view. Later the Indians succeeded in dragging away their
fallen comrade but overlooked, fortunately, the body of the white
man.

General Lewis and his men were eager to pursue and thoroughly chastise
the Indians. They reasoned that, while they were about it, the only
wise thing to do was to administer such a defeat that the red people
would keep the peace for years to come.

They crossed the Ohio and took up their march toward the Indian towns.
When Dunmore's messenger arrived with orders for them to join him they
were angry. He had left them to their fate, they had won a hard earned
victory and were determined to follow it to its logical conclusion.

Lord Dunmore's force, after building a hastily constructed fort at the
mouth of the Hockhocking River as a base for their supplies, continued
to advance on the Indian towns. The savages had met overtures for
peace with evasive replies or delays until they heard of the defeat of
Cornstalk at Point Pleasant, then they earnestly sued for peace.

Cornstalk urged a continuation of the war, but in vain. The savages
had acted more determinedly under him than ever before, but now they
wished to save their towns and crops from destruction.

Dunmore moved forward t