allowed to smoulder, the coals
being kept alive in the ashes. But Mrs. Merrill seized a feather-bed
and, tearing it open, threw it on the embers; the flame and stifling
smoke leaped up the chimney, and in a moment both Indians came down,
blinded and half smothered, and were killed by the big resolute woman
before they could recover themselves. No further attempt was made to
molest the cabin or its inmates.

One of the incidents which became most widely noised along the borders
was the escape of the two Johnson boys, in the fall of 1788. Their
father was one of the restless pioneers along the upper Ohio who were
always striving to take up claims across the river, heedless of the
Indian treaties. The two boys, John and Henry, were at the time thirteen
and eleven years old respectively. One Sunday, about noon, they went to
find a hat which they had lost the day before at the spot where they had
been working, three quarters of a mile from the house. Having found the
hat they sat down by the roadside to crack nuts, and were surprised by
two Indians; they were not harmed, but were forced to go with their
captors, who kept travelling slowly through the woods on the outskirts
of the settlements, looking for horses. The elder boy soon made friends
with the Indians, telling them that he and his brother were ill-treated
at home, and would be glad to get a chance to try Indian life. By
degrees they grew to believe he was in earnest, and plied him with all
kinds of questions concerning the neighbors, their live stock, their
guns, the number of men in the different families, to all of which he
replied with seeming eagerness and frankness. At night they stopped to
camp, one Indian scouting through the woods, while the other kindled a
fire by flashing powder in the pan of his rifle. For supper they had
parched corn and pork roasted over the coals; there was then some
further talk, and the Indians lay down to sleep, one on each side of the
boys. After a while, supposing that their captives were asleep, and
anticipating no trouble from two unarmed boys, one Indian got up and lay
down on the other side of the fire, where he was soon snoring heavily.
Then the lads, who had been wide awake, biding their time, whispered to
one another, and noiselessly rose. The elder took one of the guns,
silently cocked it, and, pointing it at the head of one Indian, directed
the younger boy to take it and pull trigger, while he himself stood over
the head