was one of these. This
day (Saturday, February 7) Boone started out alone with his
pack-horse for a supply of game, which usually was plenty in
the neighborhood of the salt licks; Thomas Brooks and
Flanders Callaway, his fellow scouts, were taking another
circuit. Having killed a buffalo, Boone was on his way home
in the afternoon, with the choicest of the meat packed upon
his horse. Snow was falling fast, and he was ten miles from
camp, when discovered by four Indians, outlying members of a
large party of Shawnees under Munseka and Black Fish, who
had taken the war-path to avenge the murder of Cornstalk
(see p. 172, _note_. 2). Benumbed by cold, and unable easily
to untie or cut the frozen thongs which bound on the pack,
Boone could not unload and mount the horse, and after a sharp
skirmish was captured, and led to the main Indian encampment, a
few miles away. Boone induced his fellow salt-makers to
surrender peaceably the following day (February 8); the number
of prisoners was, including Boone, twenty-seven--two scouts
and two salt-packers being absent. After a ten days'
"uncomfortable journey, in very severe weather," says Boone,
in which they "received as good treatment as prisoners could
expect from savages," the party arrived at Little Chillicothe,
on Little Miami--so called in contradistinction to Old
Chillicothe, on the Scioto. Boone's strong, compact build
caused the Indians to call him Big Turtle, and under that name
he was adopted as the son of Black Fish, who took a fancy
to him; sixteen of his companions were also adopted by other
warriors. The ten who were not adopted were, with Boone, taken
on a trip to Detroit (starting March 10), guarded by forty
Indians under Black Fish. The ten were sold to Lieut.
Governor Hamilton and citizens of Detroit, for L20 each,
the usual price for American prisoners. Boone remained in
Detroit until April 10, during which he was treated with
great courtesy by Hamilton, who offered Black Fish L100 for
him, but the latter declined and took the great pioneer home
with him; but Boone himself was given by Hamilton a horse and
trappings, with silver trinkets to give to the Indians. At
Little Chillicothe, Boone was kindly treated