PURSUIT OF THE REDSKINS BY THE RANGERS. 207 



notice in the course of our researches leave no doubt 

 upon our mind that the character is drawn from that of 

 Betsy Callaway, who was carried off from Boonesborough, 

 as already mentioned, by a band of painted savages. 

 She and the two other girls were, it seems, out in a 

 canoe on the south Fork of the Kentucky river, at the 

 time when they were surprised by an Indian war party, 

 by whom they were at once carried off into the forest. 

 These wily savages, foreseeing the probability of pur- 

 suit, according to their usual practice in such cases, 

 compelled their unhappy captives to travel almost 

 night and day, until they thought themselves beyond 

 the reach of being overtaken, with the idea, no doubt, 

 of holding these young women as hostages and as the 

 wives of some of the tribe until they were ransomed 

 by their friends; for the Indians were by that time 

 fully alive to the commercial value of white captives, 

 for whose ransom they were often able to extort large 

 quantities of valuable trade goods of the kinds most 

 useful to themselves, such as blankets, iron pots, ket- 

 tles, hatchets, knives, fishing tackle, tobacco, and ver- 

 million for painting their faces, etc., and even supplies 

 of guns and ammunition. Well, the abduction of the 

 girls was seen and reported to Boone almost immedi- 

 ately after its occurrence ; and he at once set to work 

 to organize a rescue party. Seven men quickly volun- 

 teered to act under Boone's orders, among whom 

 were the lovers of the three girls. These hardy 

 frontiersmen after following the trail of the captives 

 for two nights and a day, came up with the savages, 

 whom they completely surprised, and rushing in 

 suddenly upon them, they scattered or slew the whole 

 party before they could make any effective resistance 



