36 The Winning of the West 



but all accustomed to contests with wild beasts ; and 

 by instinct and training they mortally hated Indians. 

 Seeing the line of savages drawn up between the fort 

 and their masters, they promptly sallied out and 

 made a most furious onset upon their astonished 

 foes. Taking advantage of this most opportune di 

 version, the whites ran through the lines and got 

 into the fort, the Indians being completely occupied 

 in defending themselves from the dogs. Five of 

 the whites were killed, and they carried two wounded 

 men into the fort. Another man, when almost in 

 safety, was shot, and fell with a broken thigh; but 

 he had reloaded his gun as he ran, and he killed his 

 assailant as the latter ran up to scalp him. The 

 people from the fort then, by firing their rifles, kept 

 his foes at bay until he could be rescued; and he 

 soon recovered from his hurt. Yet another man 

 was overtaken almost under the walls, the Indian 

 punching him in the shoulder with the gun as he 

 pulled the trigger ; but the gun snapped, and a hunter 

 ran out of the fort and shot the Indian. The gates 

 were closed, and the whites all ready ; so the Indians 

 abandoned their effort and drew off. They had 

 taken five scalps and a number of horses; but they 

 had failed in their main object, and the whites had 

 taken two scalps, besides killing and wounding oth 

 ers of the red men, who were carried off by their 

 comrades. 



After the failure of this attempt the Indians did 

 not, for some years, make any formidable attack on 

 any of the larger stations. Though the most dan- 



