vages tried to drag off their victims. The surrounding
Indians rushed in to their aid, and a deadly fire was opened upon them
from the fort, which was energetically responded to by all the armed
savages from behind stumps and trees. One of the fiercest of battles had
instantly blazed forth. Still these stalwart pioneers were not taken by
surprise. Aided by the bullets of the fort, they shook off their
assailants, and all succeeded in escaping within the heavy gates, which
were immediately closed behind them. One only of their number, Boone's
brother, was wounded. This escape seems almost miraculous. But the
majority of the Indians in intelligence were mere children: sometimes
very cunning, but often with the grossest stupidity mingled with their
strategy.

Duquesne and Blackfish, the associated leaders, now commenced the siege
of the fort with all their energies. Dividing their forces into two
parties, they kept up an incessant fire upon the garrison for nine days
and nine nights. It was one of the most heroic of those bloody struggles
between civilization and barbarism, which have rendered the plains of
Kentucky memorable.

The savages were very careful not to expose themselves to the rifles of
the besieged. They were stationed behind rocks, and trees, and stumps,
so that it was seldom that the garrison could catch even a glimpse of
the foes who were assailing them. It was necessary for those within the
fort to be sparing of their ammunition. They seldom fired unless they
could take deliberate aim, and then the bullet was almost always sure to
reach its mark. Colonel Boone, in describing this attempt of the Indians
to capture the commissioners by stratagem, and of the storm of war which
followed, writes:

"They immediately grappled us, but, although surrounded by hundreds of
savages, we extricated ourselves from them and escaped all safe into the
garrison except one, who was wounded through a heavy fire from their
army. They immediately attacked us on every side, and a constant heavy
fire ensued between us, day and night, for the space of nine days. In
this time the enemy began to undermine our fort, which was situated
about sixty yards from the Kentucky river. They began at the water mark
and proceeded in the bank some distance, which we understood by their
making the water muddy with the clay. We immediately proceeded to
disappoint their design by cutting a trench across their subterranean
passage. The enemy disco