In the Current of the Revolution 167 



saw two Indians beneath him. They were sitting 

 under a willow, talking in deep whispers; one was 

 an ordinary warrior, the other, by his gigantic size, 

 was evidently the famous chief himself. Andrew 

 took steady aim at the big chief's breast and pulled 

 trigger. The rifle flashed in the pan; and the two 

 Indians sprang to their feet with a deep grunt of 

 surprise. For a second all three stared at one an- 

 other. Then Andrew sprang over the rock, strik- 

 ing the big Indian's breast with a shock that bore 

 him to the earth ; while at the moment of alighting, 

 he threw his arm round the small Indian's neck, and 

 all three rolled on the ground together. 



At this instant they heard sharp firing in the 

 woods above them. The rest of the whites and In- 

 dians had discovered one another at the same time. 

 A furious but momentary fight ensued; three back- 

 woodsmen and four Indians were killed outright, no 

 other white being hurt, while the single remaining 

 red warrior made his escape, though badly wounded. 

 But the three men who were struggling for life and 

 death in the ravine had no time to pay heed to out- 

 side matters. For a moment Andrew kept down 

 both his antagonists, who were stunned by the 

 shock; but before he could use his knife the big In- 

 dian wrapped him in his arms and held him as if in 

 a vise. This enabled the small Indian to wrest him- 

 self loose, when the big chief ordered him to run 

 for his tomahawk, which lay on the sand ten feet 

 away, and to kill the white man as he lay powerless 

 in the chief's arms. Andrew could not break loose, 



