34 2 The Winning of the West 



confusion and a momentary panic, which was in- 

 stantly quelled, the officers and many of the men 

 joining to encourage and rally the few whom the 

 suddenness of the attack rendered faint-hearted. 

 The Otari warriors, instead of showing the usual 

 Indian caution, came running on at headlong speed, 

 believing that the whites were fleeing in terror; 

 while still some three hundred yards off 36 they 

 raised the war-whoop and charged without halting, 

 the foremost chiefs hallooing out that the white men 

 were running, and to come on and scalp them. 

 They were led by Dragging Canoe himself, and 

 were formed very curiously, their centre being cone- 

 shaped, while their wings were curved outward; 

 apparently they believed the white line to be waver- 

 ing and hoped to break through its middle at the 

 same time that they outflanked it, trusting to a 

 single furious onset instead of to their usual tac- 

 tics. 37 The result showed their folly. The fron- 

 tiersmen on the right and left scattered out still 

 further, so that their line could not be outflanked; 

 and waiting coolly till the Otari were close up, the 

 whites fired into them. The long rifles cracked like 

 four-horse whips; they were held in skilful hands, 

 many of the assailants fell, and the rush was checked 

 at once. A short fight at close quarters ensued here 

 and there along the line, Dragging Canoe was 

 struck down and severely wounded, and then the 

 Indians fled in the utmost confusion, every man for 

 himself. Yet they carried off their wounded and 



36 Campbell MSS. 37 Do. 



