4] that he could offer no effectual
resistance, if they should attack his house, he contrived an artifice
to deter them from approaching. Taking down his gun, he walked around
the house backward and forward, and as if speaking to men in it,
called out, "_Be watchful._ They will soon be here, and as soon as you
see them, draw a fine bead;" Mrs. Sims in a coarse tone of voice and
with feigned resolution, answering as she had been advised, "Never
fear! let them once shew their yellow hides, and we'll pepper them."
He would then retire into the house, change his garments, the better
to support the deception, and again go forth to watch and give
directions to those within. He pursued this plan until night, when he
withdrew with his family to a place of safety. The Indians had
actually been in the cornfield, and near enough to have shot
Sims,--the place where they had been sitting being plainly discernible
next morning. Sims' artifice no doubt drove them off, and as they were
retreating they fired the house of Jethro Thompson on Lost creek.

In the spring of 1790, the neighborhood of Clarksburg was again
visited by Indians in quest of plunder, and who stole and carried off
several horses. They were discovered and pursued to the Ohio river,
when the pursuers, being reinforced, determined to follow on over into
the Indian country. Crossing the river and ascending the Hockhocking,
near to the falls, they came upon the camp of the savages. The whites
opened an unexpected fire, which killing one and wounding another of
the Indians, caused the remainder to fly, leaving their horses about
their camp.--These were caught, brought back and restored to their
owners.

In April as Samuel Hull was engaged in ploughing a field for Major
Benjamin Robinson, he was discovered by some Indians, shot,
tomahawked, and scalped. The murder was first ascertained by Mrs.
Robinson. Surprised that Hull did not come to the house as usual, to
feed the horses and get his own dinner, she went to the field to see
what detained him. She found the horses some distance from where they
had been recently at work; and going on, presently saw Hull lying
where he had been shot.

-----
[1] News of the preliminary articles of peace, which had
been signed at Paris, November 30, 1782, did not reach Fort
Pitt until May, 1783. In July following, De Peyster, British
commandant at Detroit, gathered at that post the chiefs of
eleven tribes