102 DESOLATION OF THE FRONTIERS. [1763. 



men, women, and children, in terror to the moun- 

 tains. Gaining a point which commanded the 

 whole expanse of the valley below, the fugitives 

 looked back, and saw the smoke rolling up in 

 volumes from their burning homes ; while the 

 Indians could be discerned roaming about in 

 quest of plunder, or feasting in groups upon the 

 slaughtered cattle. One of the principal settlers, a 

 man named Hopkins, was separated from the rest, 

 and driven into the woods. Finding himself closely 

 pursued, he crept into the hollow trunk of a fallen 

 tree, while the Indians passed without observing him. 

 They soon returned to the spot, and ranged the sur- 

 rounding woods like hounds at fault ; two of them 

 approaching so near, that, as Hopkins declared, he 

 could hear the bullets rattle in their pouches. The 

 search was unavailing ; but the fugitive did not ven- 

 ture from his place of concealment until extreme 

 hunger forced him to return to the ruined settle- 

 ment in search of food. The Indians had aban- 

 doned it some time before ; and, having found means 

 to restore his exhausted strength, he directed his 

 course towards the settlements of the Delaware, 

 which he reached after many days of wandering.^ 

 Having buried the dead bodies of those who had 

 fallen in the massacre, Clayton and his party 

 returned to the settlements. The Quakers, who 

 seemed resolved that they would neither defend 

 the people of the frontier nor allow them to defend 

 themselves, vehemently inveighed against the several 



1 MS. Elder Papers. Chapman, Hist. Wyoming, 70. Miner, Hist. 

 Wyoming, 56. 



