The Arizona sentinel., 1888-08-11


 their leader, they separated to hunt them up again that they might take them on their proposed route to the Falls, Kenton soon fell into a large body of the Indians, and his gun ''flash- ing in the pan," he was captured. Montgomery, hearing the report of the skirmish, came to his rescue, but was instantly killed and scalped, while Clarke succeeded in making his escape, and finally reached the Kentucky set dement's. l.
 Kenton was now subjected to a sys- tenn of barbarous treatment such as only the American savage can inaict. He was tied, Mazeppa-like, upon one of the widest of their horses, and a pair of moccasins fastened securely upon his hands, that he might not be able to shield his face from the brush, and the horse turned loose. The frightened an- imal kicked, reared and plunged about in the widest manner, endeavoring to free himself from his burden, but the savages had done their work well. After exhausting himself the horse fol- lowed the cavalcade as peaceably as his involuntary rider At Chillicothe, he was compeled to run the gauntlet, when he was roughly handled, receiv ing severe wounds.
 Many of the young readers of the Coxrier-,your1dL are doubtless ignorant of the term running the gauntlet as practised among the hostile Indians of America. The warriors were drawn up in two parallel lines and armed with clubs, tomahawks, knives and long sticks, each placed far enough from his neighbor to have plenty of room to use his weapon. The prisoner was stripped and made to run betwee n the lines, each warrior aiming blow at him as he passed, the punishment inflicted being gauged by his speed in running and the dexterity with which he lodged his tormentors. The terri ble ordeal often proved fatal to the hardest man, and even female prison CTS did not always escape the gauntlet.
 As soon as Kenton recovered from his rough treatment, he was given food and then taken to the Council House, where, in solemn silence, his fate was decided by large majority of the assembled warriors voting for death at the stake. By vote also the place selected for his execution was Wapatomica (now Zanesville, Ohio). He was hurried away the next day and en route had tONpass through the In- dian towns of Pickaway and Macka- chack, in both of which he was again subjected to the ordeal of running the gauntlet. He concluded that nothing worse than death could follow, and at Mackachack he made a bold dash for liberty. Being unconfined he broke away from his captors and ran, and soon distanced all his pursuers. But some miles from town he encountered band of mounted Indians, who drove him back. He was removed to Wapa- tomica for execution, where his pres ence excited considerable curiosity, for aside from Boone, no white man on the border was more widely known among the Indians than Ken ton, or more intensely hated by them. Among others who came to see him was his early boyhood friend, Simon Girty, but with his face painted black, denoting that sentence of death rested upon him. Girty at first failed to rec ognize him. When he did he gave every demonstration of joy at meeting his old friend, but the deepest grief at the situation in which he found him.
 Kenton and Girty had served to- gether in the "Dunmore war;" and had become much attached to each other. But Girty since that had made himself infamous by renouncing his race, turn ing Indian and becoming one of the most bloOd-thirsty savages and scourges known in all the time of border war fare. In this one instance alone can an act of generosity be recorded to his early friendship for Kenton, and amid apparently insurmountable obstacles, and by almost superhuman effort, at the risk of his own life, he secured the remission of the death sentence and received Kenton into his own care and custody. His friendship for Kenton was not weak nor ephemeral, and in some degree his treatment of him in this case atones for some of his cruelties to other white people, who were so unfortunate as to fall into his hands. He took Kenton to the British trading-post and provided him with complete suit of clothes, and a horse and saddle. For short time Kenton led an easy life. But it was not long before war party, who had returned from an unsuccessful raid, having lost several of their members, demanded Kenton's death in retaliation. Another council was called at Wapatomica, and, although Girty defended Kenton most zealously, he was again doomed to die. Girty, however, did not give up the fight. He persuaded the savages to convey Kenton to Sandusky, where the tribes assembled in large numbers to receive their pres ents from the British Government, that the different tribes gathered there might witness his death. The Indians readily assented, and they left at once for Sandusky, passing through the viii lage of the celebrated Mingo chief, Logan, where Girty managed to have them remain for day. Logan, learn inO the ci rc11rrn St nnnnS disnafched one