The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 151 



escaping unharmed from the shots fired at them; 

 and so, though scorched by the flame and choked 

 by the smoke, they saved their house and their lives. 

 Seeing the failure of their efforts the savages then 

 left, first tomahawking and scalping the two elder 

 children. The shuddering mother, with her baby, 

 was taken along with them to a cave, in which they 

 hid her and the wounded Indian ; and then with un 

 told fatigue, hardship, and suffering, for her brutal 

 captors gave her for food only a few papaw nuts 

 and the head of a wild turkey, she was taken to 

 the Indian towns. Some months afterward Simon 

 Girty ransomed her and sent her home. Edward 

 Cunningham raised a body of men and tried to 

 follow the trail; but the crafty forest warriors had 

 concealed it with such care that no effective pursuit 

 could be made. 



In none of the above-mentioned raids did the 

 Indians suffer any loss of life, and in none was there 

 any successful pursuit. But in one instance in this 

 same year and same neighborhood the assailed set 

 tlers retaliated with effect. It was near Wheeling. 

 A lad named John Wetzel, one of a noted border 

 family of coarse, powerful, illiterate Indian fighters, 

 had gone out from the fortified village in which his 

 kinsfolk were living to hunt horses. Another boy 

 went with him. There were several stray horses, 

 one being a mare which belonged to Wetzel's sister, 

 with a colt, and the girl had promised him the colt 

 if he would bring the mare back. The two boys 

 were vigorous young fellows, accustomed to life 



