e, and discovered, as they had suspected all along, that
they were a party of Shawnees returning to Kentucky, although the
majority of this tribe of Indians at this time had their towns in Ohio.
A half-hour later, by signs known only to experienced woodmen, they
became convinced that some one else was also upon the trail of the
Indians. After a great amount of maneuvering and stratagetic
reconnoitering, they learned that it was a hunter like themselves, and
no other but their old friend Dick Allmat. Accompanied by him, they
continued the pursuit, and a mile further on, discovered that still
another person was dogging the Shawnees. Pretty certain that this must
also be a friend, they managed to make themselves known to him without
the tedious ceremony which had characterized their introduction to
Allmat. He proved to be Tom O'Hara, whose utmost exertions were
necessary to keep pace with the retreating savages. He was in a perfect
fury that they should proceed so fast, when he could see no necessity
for it, and was half tempted to expend some of his wrath upon those of
his friends who laughed at his discomfiture.

The party, now numbering four experienced hunters, felt considerable
confidence in their strength, and the proposition was made to attack
the Shawnees. The latter numbered seven or eight, and from their
deliberate and incautious movements, it was manifest, had not learned
that they were pursued. Perhaps they believed no white man could brave
the blinding, seething storm then raging, for they neglected those
precautions which seem to be second nature with the North American
Indian.

The proposition made by Lewis Dernor was agreed to, and the plan
matured. The conflict took place in a sort of open hollow, and probably
was one of the most sanguinary personal conflicts that ever occurred on
the frontier. The hunters came out of it with no wounds worth
mentioning, while only two of the savages escaped. These plunged into
the woods, and disappeared with the speed of the wind, and the whites
were left undisputed masters of the field.

This was by no means the first outrage which had been committed by
similar bands of Indians, and just at this particular time the arm of
the General Government was so weakened from the repeated disastrous
campaigns against them, that they insulted the whites with impunity,
and entertained, in reality, no fear at all of punishment or
retribution. This was the subject of conversation wit