310 The Winning of the West 



though the Otari war bands lowered like thunder- 

 clouds on their southern border, they determined to 

 leave only enough men to keep the savages at bay 

 for the moment, and with the rest to overwhelm 

 Ferguson before he could retreat out of their reach. 

 Hitherto the war with the British had been some- 

 thing afar off; now it had come to their thresholds 

 and their spirits rose to the danger. 



Shelby was the first to hear the news. He at 

 once rode down to Sevier's home on the Nolichucky ; 

 for they were the two county lieutenants, 15 who had 

 control of all the militia of the district. At Sevier's 

 log-house there was feasting and merry-making, 

 for he had given a barbecue, and a great horse race 

 was to be run, while the backwoods champions tried 

 their skill as marksmen and wrestlers. In the midst 

 of the merry-making Shelby appeared, hot with 

 hard riding, to tell of the British advance, and to 

 urge that the time was ripe for fighting, not feasting. 

 Sevier at once entered heartily into his friend's plan, 

 and agreed to raise his rifle-rangers, and gather the 

 broken and disorganized refugees who had fled 

 across the mountains under McDowell. While this 

 was being done Shelby returned to his home to call 

 out his own militia and to summon the Holston Vir- 

 ginians to his aid. With the latter purpose he sent 

 one of his brothers to Arthur Campbell, the county 



15 Shelby was regularly commissioned as county lieutenant. 

 Sevier's commission was not sent him until several weeks 

 later ; but he had long acted as such by the agreement of the 

 settlers, who paid very little heed to the weak and disorgan- 

 ized North Carolina government. 



