244 The Winning of the West 



they within the fort, however, when some of the 

 Indians found that they had been discovered, and 

 the attack began so quickly that one or two of the 

 men who had lingered in the corn-fields were killed, 

 or else were cut off and fled to Lexington; while, 

 at the same time, swift- footed runners were sent out 

 to carry the alarm to the different stockades, and 

 summon their riflemen to the rescue. 



At first but a few Indians appeared, on the side 

 of the Lexington road; they whooped and danced 

 defiance to the fort, evidently inviting an attack. 

 Their purpose was to lure the defenders into sally- 

 ing out after them, when their main body was to 

 rush at the stockade from the other side. But they 

 did not succeed in deceiving the veteran Indian 

 fighters who manned the heavy gates of the fort, 

 stood behind the loopholed walls, or scanned the 

 country round about from the high block-houses at 

 the corners. A dozen active young men were sent 

 out on the Lexington road to carry on a mock 

 skirmish with the decoy party, while the rest of the 

 defenders gathered behind the wall on the opposite 



McClung's statements. Thus Boone and Levi Todd in their 

 reports make no mention of McGarry's conduct; and it 

 might be supposed to be a traditional myth, but McClung's 

 account is unexpectedly corroborated by Arthur Campbell's 

 letter, hereafter to be quoted, which was written at the time. 

 Marshall is the authority for Netherlands feat at the ford. 

 Boone's description in the Filson narrative differs on several 

 points from his earlier official letter, one or two grave errors 

 being made ; it is one of the incidents which shows how cau- 

 tiously the Filson sketch must be used, though it is usually 

 accepted as unquestionable authority. 



