The Washington herald., 1912-05-12

MS own DIVISION, ne saw several hold
their hats from behind trees, and this,
being mistaken by the Indians for their
heads, they were shot at with great ac-
euracy. The Rangers Immediately
would drop their hats, and now, sup
posing that he had killed his man, the
savage would come bounding through
the underbrush to take. the scalp Of
the paleface. But, as he did so, the
Ranger would draw a good bead upon
his body, and a quick shot would lay
the cunning savage PROSTATE upon the
sod. Whereupon the frontiersman
would utter a yell, quite as fierce and
blood-curdling as that of his enemies
and when the opportunity presented IT.
self, would seize the rife, knife, and
tomahawk of the fallen brave.
Il was now about 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, so there was a lull in the
firing. as the army of the frontier took
hasty and well-merited rest in order
to refresh their tired bodies with water
and dried meat The division under
the lamented Lewis had reformed
after its retreat-and was now holding
its own, re-enforced by some $50 men
from the camp. The savages had, on
the left, been driven to the protection
of some logs and felled trees, where il
them, and where-like white men-they
defended themselves with valor. Some
of the Rangers were for rushing the
fortihcation, but Fleming and Gen.
Lewis restrained their impetuosity.
at is better" they said, ''to break
even, at nightfall, rather than to run
the chance of a bad defeat Besides,
Dunmore is on his way with re-en-
forcements and should be here by to-
morrow Let US hold our own, and
wait until the morning before we press
home the attack"
The whole line was stretched out for
mile and half, the men lay quietly
upon the ground, all ready for the re-
newal of the affair, while in their rear
the officers paced up and down behind
the protection of large trees, giving
orders, bringing up water. and animat-
ing their soldiers by word and gesture
to renewed zeal and confidence.
Jack and Tommy had fought ike
bantamS, and, although pierced through
the hunting shirt by a ball, Tommy
was not dismayed, and kept his place
well up in front of the line Old Flint
Lock had disappeared from the neigh
borhood of the two boys. but, as he
was well skilled in this method of war
fare, neither of them had any fear for
his safety, particularly as he was not
seen among the wounded men collect
ed beneath the shade of some tents
near the camp.
At 3 o'clock the blowing of a horn
gave the signal for the renewal of the
conflict, and, in few moments the air
resounded with the roll of musketry,
the cries of the Rangers, and the
whoops of the allied Indian tribes.
Again and again the Virginians crept
up to a short distance of the Indian in
trenchment, only to be driven of by
well-directed volleys of lead, which laid
low a great many privates and severely
crippled some of those IN superior po-
sitions Once, in the melee. Jack
thought he saw the well-known feat
ures of Logan, walking behind the In
dian braves and stimulating them to
firm resistance by his voice and man.
ner. But the figure was soon lost 10
view amid the wisps of smoke and
gloom of the underground. Shortly
after this, as he wormed his way near
er to the Indian entrenchment, in or
der to get a shot at one daring brave,
who was exposing himself somewhat
in advance of the rest of his men, sud-
denly he heard a well-lonown voice
speaking to him. and looking up, saw
the stern features OF the old warrior
looking calmly at him from behind a
fallen oak tree.
"Ah. it is you, Soan-ge-taha, is il?
said Logan. And, seeing that it is
you will spare your life, for you see
you creep forward. But, why do you
come against US, then? Do you not
know that you are invading our lands,
the lands given US by the Great White
Father? And do you not know that
you have brought on this war by your
treatment of my racer"
Jack was about to reply, when a
furious fusillade made the Indian
dodge behind the protection of the tree,
as many bullets spattered against its
sides. A moment later and the chief
had disappeared behind the protection
of the fallen timber which sheltered his
own men.
Thus the battle ragged until sunset,
with neither side advancing or retreat
ing. The Indians feared to abandon
their position, while the whites, dread
ing an overwhelming slaughter, refused
to rush over the fallen timber. Final
ly, about half an hour after sunset, the
braves silently defled out of their line
of breastworks, and so subtly did they
vanish, that the Virginian army did
not know that they had gone until an
other mornings sun threw its luster
over the green forest. Twenty-one of
the Shawnees were found dead on the
field of battle, and twelve more were
afterward found concealed in different
places, but a great quantity of their
dead were said to have been thrown
into the river during the engagement,
and, considering that the whole body
of the American troops were rifemen,
and, by training, sharpshooters of the
first order, It is presumable to suppose
that the loss on the side of the Indians
was, at least, equal to that of the
Americans, which numbered seventy
FIVE killed, and I4o wounded. An evil
dence of the extraordinary marksman-
ship of the fighters on both sides was
the fact that all the killed and wounded
were shot either in the head or breast
Upon the day following the battle,
after burying the dead, entrenchments
were thrown up around the camp, and
a competent guard was appointed for
the care and protection of the sick and
wounded. Scouts had penetrated far
into the forest in pursuit of the re-
Sra,E,no T,d.ope a,I ,y,o~ tbasr -