In the Current of the Revolution 141 



by the Indian, who was himself instantly killed. The 

 scattered detachments now sat down to listen for the 

 missing wing. After half an hour's silent waiting, 

 they suddenly became aware of the presence of a 

 body of Indians, who had slipped in between them 

 and the town. The backwoodsmen rushed up to the 

 attack, while the Indians whooped and yelled de- 

 fiance. There was a moment's heavy firing; but as 

 on both sides the combatants carefully sheltered 

 themselves behind trees, there was very little loss; 

 and the Indians steadily gave way until they reached 

 the town, about two miles distant from the spot 

 where the whites had halted. They then made a 

 stand, and, for the first time, there occurred some 

 real fighting. The Indians stood stoutly behind the 

 loop-holed walls of the cabins, and in the block- 

 house; the Americans, advancing cautiously and 

 gaining ground inch by inch, suffered much more 

 loss than they inflicted. Late in the afternoon Clark 

 managed to bring the three-pounder into action, 

 from a point below the town; while the riflemen 

 fired at the red warriors as they were occasionally 

 seen running from the cabins to take refuge behind 

 the steep bank of the river. A few shots from the 

 three-pounder dislodged the defenders of the block- 

 house; and about sunset the Americans closed in, 

 but only to find that their foes had escaped under 

 cover of a noisy fire from a few of the hindmost 

 warriors. They had run up stream, behind the 

 banks, until they came to a small "branch" or brook, 

 by means of which they gained the shelter of the 



