The War in the Northwest 215 



he managed to slip out of his rope and escape, en- 

 tirely naked. 



Catching a horse, he galloped away sitting on 

 a piece of old rug, and guiding the animal with the 

 halter. He rode steadily and at speed for seventy 

 miles, until his horse dropped dead under him late 

 in the afternoon. Springing off, he continued the 

 race on foot. At last he halted, sick and weary; 

 but, when he had rested an hour or two, he heard 

 afar off the halloo of his pursuers. Struggling to 

 his feet he continued his flight, and ran until after 

 dark. He then threw himself down and snatched 

 a few hours' restless sleep, but, as soon as the 

 moon rose, he renewed his run for life, carefully 

 covering his trail whenever possible. At last he 

 distanced his enemies. For five days he went 

 straight through the woods, naked, bruised, and 

 torn, living on a few berries and a couple of small 

 crawfish he caught in a stream. He could not sleep 

 nor sometimes even lie down at night because of 

 the mosquitoes. On the morning of the sixth day 

 he reached Wheeling, after experiencing such hard- 

 ship and suffering as none but an iron will and 

 frame could have withstood. 



Until near the close of the year 1782 the frontiers 

 suffered heavily. A terrible and deserved retribu- 

 tion fell on the borderers for their crime in failing 

 to punish the dastardly deed of Williamson and his 

 associates. The Indians were roused to savage 

 anger by the murder of the Moravians, and were 

 greatly encouraged by their easy defeat of Craw- 



