The War in the Northwest 31 



was plenty, and not shy, and so they got up close 

 and rarely wasted a shot. Moreover, their small 

 bore rifles took very little powder; in fact the need 

 of excessive economy in the use of ammunition 

 when on their long hunting-trips was one of the 

 chief reasons for the use of small bores. They 

 therefore used comparatively little ammunition. 

 Nevertheless, by the beginning of winter both 

 powder and bullets began to fail. In this emergency 

 Robertson again came to the front to rescue the 

 settlement he had founded and preserved. He was 

 accustomed to making long, solitary journeys 

 through the forest, unmindful of the Indians; he 

 had been one of the first to come from North Caro 

 lina to Watauga; he had repeatedly been on peril 

 ous missions to the Cherokees; he had the previous 

 year gone north to the Illinois country to meet 

 Clark. He now announced that he would himself 

 go to Kentucky and bring back the needed ammuni 

 tion; and at once set forth on his journey, across 

 the long stretches of snow-powdered barrens, and 

 desolate, Indian-haunted woodland. 



