34 The Winning of the West 



As it was, there were still so few whites in Ken- 

 tucky that they were greatly outnumbered by the 

 invading Indians. They were, in consequence, un- 

 able to meet the enemy in the open field, and gath- 

 ered in their stations or forted villages. Therefore 

 the early conflicts, for the most part, took the form 

 of sieges of these wooden forts. Such sieges had 

 little in common with the corresponding operations 

 of civilized armies. The Indians usually tried to 

 surprise a fort; if they failed, they occasionally tried 

 to carry it by open assault, or by setting fire to it, 

 but very rarely, indeed, beleaguered it in form. For 

 this they lacked both the discipline and the commis- 

 sariat. Accordingly, if their first rush miscarried, 

 they usually dispersed in the woods to hunt, or look 

 for small parties of whites; always, however, leav- 

 ing some of their number to hover round the fort 

 and watch anything that took place. Masters in the 

 art of hiding, and able to conceal themselves behind 

 a bush, a stone, or a tuft of weeds, they skulked 

 round the gate before dawn, to shoot the white sen- 

 tinels; or they ambushed the springs, and killed 

 those who came for water; they slaughtered all of 

 the cattle that had not been driven in, and any one 

 venturing incautiously beyond the walls was certain 

 to be waylaid and murdered. Those who were thus 

 hemmed in in the fort were obliged to get game on 

 which to live; the hunters accordingly were accus- 

 tomed to leave before daybreak, travel eight or ten 

 miles, hunt all day at the risk of their lives, and re- 

 turn after dark. Being of course the picked men of 



