Year: 1859

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they had descended the river and run theiI
canoes upon Little Tunkhannock creek, so
called. They crossed the river and set Their
canoes adrift. ] renewed my suggestion TO
my companions 10 dispatch them that night,
and urged they must decide the question:
They agreed 10 make the trial but how
| shall we do it, was the question. Disarm
them, and each take tomahawk, and come
TO close work at once. There are three of
us; plant our blows with judgment, and
three times three will make nine, and the
tenth one we can kill at our leasure. They
agreed TO disarm them, and after that, one
take possession of the guns and fire, at the
one side of the four, and the other two take
tomahawks on the other side and dispatch
them. | observed that would be very un.
certain way; the first shot fired would give
the alarm; they would discover it 10 be the
prisoners, and might defeat us. had TO
yield 10 their plan. Peter Pence was chos-
en- 10 fire the guns, Pike and myself to TOM
ahawk we cut and carried plenty of wood
10 give them good fire; the prisoners
were tied and laid in their places after
was laid down, one of them had occasion
to use his knife he dropped it at my feet !;
! turned my foot over it and concealed it !;
they all lay down and fell asleep. About
midnight l got up and found them in
sound sleep. slipped 10 Pence, who rose;
cut him loose and handed him the knife :;
he did the same for me, and in turn took
the knife and cut Pike loose in a minutes
time we disarmed them. Pence took his
station at the guns. Pike and myself with
our lomahawks took our stations was TO
tomahawk three on the right wing, and Pike
two on the left. That moment Pixies two
awoke, and were getting up here Pike pro-
we'd coward, and laid down. 1t was
critical moment. l saw there was no time
10 be lost; their heads turned up fair; dis
patched them in moment, and turned TO
my lot as per agreement, and as was about
10 dispatch the last on my side of the fire,
Pence shot and did good execution there
was only one at the off wing that his ball
did not reach mis- name was Mohawke, a
stout, bold, daring fellow. In the alarm he
jumped off about three rods from the fire ::
he saw it was the prisoners who made the
attack. and giving the war.whoop, he darted
TO take possession of the guns | was as
quick 10 prevent him the contest was then
between him and myself. AS raised nv
tomahawk, he turned quick to jump from
me !; | followed and struck at him, but
missing his head, my tomahawk struck his
shoulder, or rather the back of his neck {;
he pitched forward and fell and the same
time my foot slipped, and l fell by his side;
we clinched; his arm was naked he
caught me round my neck at the same
time caught him with my left arm around
the body, and gave him close hug, at the
same time feeling for his knife, but could
not reach it.


In our scnfiie my tomahawk dropped out
My head was under the wounded shoulder,
and almost suffocated me with his blood. |
made violent spring, and broke from his
hold; we both rose at the same time, and
he ran it took me some time to clear the
blood from my eyes; my tomahawk had got
covered up, aud could not fad it in time
TO overtake him; he was the only one of
the party that escaped. Pike was powerless.
| always had reverence for Christian de-
votion. Pike was trying 10 pray, and Pence
swearing at him. charging him with cowar.
dice, and saying it was no time TO pray
he ought 10 fight; we were masters of the
ground, and in possession of all their guns,
blankets, match coats, &c. then turned
my attention to scalping them, and recover.
ing the scalps OF my father, brother, and
others, strung them all on my belt for safe
keeping We kept our ground till morning,
and built raft, it being near the bank Of
the river where they had encamped, about
fifteen miles below Tioga Point; we got all
our plunder on it, and set sail for Wyoming,
the nearest settlement. Our raft gave way,
when we made for land, but we lost con-
siderable property, though we saved our
guns and ammunition, and took 10 land 4;
we reached Wyalusing late in the afternoon.
Came TO the narrows discovered smoke
below, and raft laying at the shore, by
which we were certain that party of In
dians had passed us in the course of the
day, and had halted for the night There
was no alternative for US but 10 rout them or
go over the mountain the snow on the
north side of the hill was deep; we knew
from the appearance of the raft that the
party must be small we had Two rifles
each my only fear was of Pixies coward.
ice. To know the worst of it, we agreed
that should ascertain their number, and
give the signal for the attack crept down
the side o. the hill so near as 10 see their
fires and packs, but saw no Indians. ! con-
cluded they had gone hunting for meat, and
that this was good opportunity for us to
make off with their raft TO the opposite side
of the river. gave the signal they came
and threw their packs OH the raft, which
was made OF small, dry pine timber; with
poles and paddles we drove her briskly
across the river, and had got nearly out o.
reach of shot, when two of them came in
they fired-their shots did no injury; we
soon got under cover of an island, and wen


several miles we had waded deep creeks
| ,ho Jo,, tba yi0ht xuoc colt xya