40 The Winning of the West 



At other times the skirmishes resulted differently, 

 as on the occasion chronicled by Clark in his diary, 

 when they "went out to hunt Indians; one wounded 

 Squire Boone and escaped." 28 



The corn was brought in from the cribs under 

 guard ; one day while shelling a quantity, a body of 

 thirty-seven whites were attacked, and seven were 

 killed or wounded, though the Indians were beaten 

 off and two scalps taken. In spite of this constant 

 warfare the fields near the forts were gradually 

 cleared, and planted with corn, pumpkins, and 

 melons; and marrying and mirth-making went on 

 within the walls. One of Clark's scouts, shortly 

 after returning from the Illinois, got married, doubt- 

 less feeling he deserved some reward for the hard- 

 ships he had suffered; on the wedding night Clark 

 remarks that there was "great merriment." The 

 rare and infrequent expresses from Pittsburg or 

 Williamsburg brought letters telling of Washing- 

 ton's campaigns, which Clark read with absorbed 

 interest. On the first of October, having matured 

 hlis plans for the Illinois campaign, he left for Vir- 

 ginia, to see if he could get the government to help 

 him put them into execution. 



During the summer parties of backswoods militia 

 from the Holston settlements both Virginians and 

 Carolinians came out to help the Kentuckians in 

 their struggle against the Indians; but they only 

 stayed a few weeks, and then returned home. In the 

 fall, however, several companies of immigrants 



28 Clark's diary, entry for July gth. 



