The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22

tives, after having been given little
jerked meat, were allowed TO lie down and
get what rest they could on the ground,
with nothing between them and the cool
night wind except the clothing they wore.
Very early next morning they were again
in notion the hardy frontier life Of the
girls had so Injured them TO out-of door ex-
ercise that by Monday night their captors
had carried them more than thirty miles
from the fort when the camp was once
more made All were footsore, however,
and weary, and the two younger girls oc-
casionally cried bitterly, while Betsey
comforted and consoled them with the
hope of rescue, whispered when they were
allowed to rest together. The first night
she had been careful to tear several
pieces out of her dress in the darkness,
and she had found opportunities Of drop
ping them unseen along the line Of march
on Monday.
1t had been afternoon when the girls
were captured, and their captors had
gained more than an hours march before
the men of the settlement returned, two
of them to find their daughters gone,
while for three Others the capture meant
the loss of their sweethearts. Jemima
Boone and Fannie Galloway, though but
IA, were pretty and well-developed girls
and their isolation from other girls COM
partnership and association with their
elders had made them much more
womanly than the average girl of their
age. Already two of the young men of
the fort had been regarding them with
something more than merely friendly
ewes Those were days when women
married early, and Betsey Galloway, be-
ing Is, was considered to be OF quite
marriageable age by more than one.
No time was lost by the men when the
news of the capture was heard. Col. Cal
laway, with several others, set of TO the
northward on horseback to intercept the
Indians in case they should attempt TO
cross the Ohio TO the Indian settlements,
but Boone, with the lovers OF the three
girls and four other men, attempted the
more difficult task of following the trail
on foot. This was easy enough until the
water-course was reached, where the girls
had been forced 10 wade. There much
time was lost in the EFFORT to find the
trail before the place was found where
Betsey had stamped her shoe ia the moist
sand on the bank. When night closed the
party had only gone five miles and the
Indians were still far ahead.
Much of the distance was made up on
the following day; the pieces of Betsey's
dress were found, as well as the broken
twigs, and by Monday night the two par
ties were not very far apart. / or the first
time since the capture the Indians dared
build a flre next morning, 10 COOK some OF
the meat of bu Ialo calf which they had
killed. Their camp for the night had
been made ia a dense canebreak, aud they
trusted TO it 10 conceal the smoke from
their fire While two Of them bent over
the fame cooking, the others lay about in
various attitudes, and the girls were
crouched at the foot of a tree, Betsey sit
ting with the heads Of the two younger
girls in her lap.
II was thus that Boone's party found
them all we're on guard and unsuspicious
OF danger and, as the frontiersmen adj
vaLced, only two Of the Indians were near
enough 10 their guns 70 seize them. Boone
Col. John Floyd and two of the others
fired, the two former hitting their men
the one shot by Boone escaped, but drop
ped his gun, and this was also the three
who were unhurt. A search OF the camp
showed their weapons ana all OF their
ammunition.
i he other rescuers had turned their at
tention 10 the captives, and Betsey had
narrow escape from death 40 their hands.
She was naturally dark skinned, and at
the time Of her capture, having been bare
headed the exposure 10 the sun had
tanned her complexion until 10 was almost
a. dark as that Of her captOra. She had
taken the red kcrchief which had encir-
cled her neck. and tied II over her head
ln such q manner as 10 half conceal her
features and, thus disguised. was mis-
taken Dy one 0f the men for an Indian,