of the Indians
belonging to the village where they were, by an application of some
sanative herbs, very much relieved the pain which she endured.

When she came to the town of those by whom she had been made prisoner,
although receiving no barbarous or cruel usage, yet everything
indicated to her, that she was reserved for some painful torture. The
wounded Indian had been left behind, and she was delivered to his
father. Her clothes were not changed, as is the case when a prisoner
is adopted by them; but she was compelled to wear them, dirty as they
were,--a bad omen for a captive. She was however, not long in
apprehension of a wretched fate. A conference was soon to take place
between the Indians and whites, preparatory to a treaty of peace; and
witnessing an uncommon excitement in the village one evening, upon
inquiring, learned that the Great captain Simon Girty had arrived. She
determined to prevail with him, if she could, to intercede for her
liberation, and seeing him next day passing near on horseback, she
laid hold on his stirrup, and implored his interference. For a while
he made light of her petition,--telling her that she would be as well
there as in her own country, and that if he were disposed to do her a
kindness he could not as his saddle bags were too small to conceal
her; but her importunity at length prevailed, and he whose heart had
been so long steeled [276] against every kindly feeling, every
sympathetic impression, was at length induced to perform an act of
generous, disinterested benevolence. He paid her ransom, had her
conveyed to the commissioners for negotiating with the Indians, and by
them she was taken to a station on the south side of the Ohio.[8] Here
she met with two gentlemen (Long and Denton) who had been at the
treaty to obtain intelligence of their children taken captive some
time before, but not being able to gain any information respecting
them, they were then returning to the interior of Kentucky and kindly
furnished her a horse.

In consequence of the great danger attending a journey through the
wilderness which lay between the settlements in Kentucky and those on
the Holstein, persons scarcely ever performed it but at particular
periods of the year, and in caravans, the better to defend themselves
against attacks of savages. Notice of the time and place of the
assembling of one of these parties being given, Mrs. Cunningham
prepared to accompany it; but before that time arrived,