oach, and separated, so as to leave no trail by which
they could be farther traced. They had of course to give over the
pursuit; and returned home, to provide more effectually against the
perpetration of similar acts of atrocity and darkness.

A short time after this, two Indians came on the West Fork, and
concealed themselves near to Coon's fort, awaiting an opportunity of
effecting some mischief. While thus lying in ambush, a daughter of Mr.
Coon came out for the purpose of lifting some hemp in a field near to
the fort, and by the side of the road. Being engaged in performing
this business, Thomas Cunningham and Enoch James passing along, and
seeing her, entered into conversation with her, and after a while
proceeded on their road. But before they had gone far, alarmed by the
report of a gun, they looked back and saw an Indian run up to the
girl, tomahawk and scalp her. The people of the fort were quickly
apprised of what had been done, and immediately turned out in pursuit;
but could not trace the course taken by the savages. It afterwards
appeared that the Indians had been for some time waiting for the girl
to come near enough for them to catch and make her prisoner, before
she could alarm the fort, or get within reach of its guns; but when
one of them crossed the fence for this purpose, she espied him and ran
directly towards the fort.--Fearing that he would not be able to
overtake her, without approaching the fort so as to involve himself in
some danger, he shot her as she ran; and going up to her he tomahawked
and scalped her. In endeavoring then to secure himself by flight, he
was shot at by James, but at so great distance as to prevent the doing
of execution.

In the neighborhood of Wheeling, some mischief of this kind was
done about the same time, and by Indians who acted so warily, as to
avoid being discovered and punished. A man by the name of Thomas Ryan
was killed in a field some distance from the house, and a negro
fellow at work with him, [160] taken prisoner and carried off. No
invasion however, of that country, had been as yet, of sufficient
importance to induce the people to forsake their homes and go into
the forts.--Scouting parties were constantly traversing the woods
in every direction, and so successfully did they, observe every
avenue to the settlements, that the approach of Indians was generally
discovered and made known, before any evil resulted from it. But in
August the whole country borde