, and Slover commenced untying himself. Without much
difficulty he loosened the cord from his arms, but the ligature around
his neck, of undressed buffalo-hide, seemed to defy his exertions to
remove it; and while he was endeavoring to gnaw it in vain, one of the
sleeping Indians, rose up and going near to him, sat and smoked his
pipe for some time. Slover lay perfectly still, apprehensive that all
chance of escape was now lost to him. But no--the Indian again
composed himself to sleep, and the first effort afterwards made, to
loose the band from his neck by slipping it over his head, resulted in
leaving Slover entirely unbound. He then crept softly from the house
and leaping a fence, gained the cornfield. Passing on, as he
approached a tree, he espied a squaw with several children lying at
its root; and fearing that some of them might discover him and give
the alarm of his [248] escape, he changed his course. He soon after
reached a glade, in which were several horses, one of which he
caught; and also found a piece of an old rug, which afforded him his
only covering until he reached Wheeling. This he was enabled to do in
a few days, being perfectly acquainted with the country.

The town, from which Slover escaped, was the one to which Dr.
Knight was to have been taken. The Indian who had him in charge,
came in while Slover was there, and reported his escape--magnifying
the Doctor's stature to gigantic size and attributing to him
herculean strength. When Slover acquainted the warriors with the
fact, that Doctor Knight was diminutive and effeminate, they laughed
heartily at this Indian, and mocked at him for suffering the escape.
He however bore a mark which showed that, weak and enfeebled as he
was, the Doctor had not played booty when he aimed the blow at his
conductor.--It had penetrated to the skull and made a gash of full
four inches length.

These are but few of the many incidents which no doubt occurred, to
individuals who endeavored to effect an escape by detaching themselves
from the main army. The number of those, thus separated from the
troops, who had the good fortune to reach the settlements, was small
indeed; and of the many of them who fell into the hands of the
savages, Knight and Slover are believed to be the only persons, who
were so fortunate as to make an escape. The precise loss sustained in
the expedition, was never ascertained, and is variously represented
from ninety to one hundred and twenty.