16 Lewis Wetzel. 



• performed ; the ball entered the centre of the diminutive target : 

 astonished at his activity and skill, his antagonist instantly enquired 

 his name. Lewis Wetzel, at your service, answered the stranger. 

 The young hunter seized him by the hand with all the ardor of 

 youthful admiration, and at once acknowledged his own inferiority. 

 So charmed was he M'ith Wetzel's frankness, skill, and fine personal 

 appearance, that he insisted upon his returning with him to the set- 

 tlement on Dankard's Creek, that he might exhibit his talents to 

 his own family, and to the hardy backwoodsmen, his neighbors. 

 Nothing loath to such an exhibition, and pleased with the energy of 

 his new acquaintance, Wetzel consented to accompany him ; short- 

 ening the way with their mutual tales of hunting excursions and haz- 

 ardous contests with the common enenues of the country. Amongst 

 other things, Wetzel stated his manner of distinguishing the foot- 

 steps of a white man from those of an Indian, although covered with 

 mocasins, and intermixed with the tracks of savages. He had ac- 

 quired this tact from closely examining the manner of placing the 

 feet ; the Indian stepping with his feet in parallel lines, and first 

 bringing the toe to the ground ; while the white man almost invari- 

 ably places his feet at an angle with the line of march. An oppor- 

 tunity they little expected, soon gave room to put his skill to the 

 trial. On reaching the young man's home, which they did that day, 

 they found the dwelling a smoking ruin, and all the family lying mur- 

 dered and scalped, except a young woman who had been brought up 

 in the family, and to whom the young man was ardently attached. 

 She had been taken away alive, as was ascertained by examining 

 the trail of the savages. Wetzel soon discovered that the party con- 

 sisted of three Indians and a renegado white man, a fact not uncom- 

 mon in those early days, when, for crime or the love of revenge, the 

 white outlaw fled to the savages, and was adopted on trial into their 

 tribe. 



As it was past the middle of the day, and the nearest assistance 

 still at some considerable distance, and there w^ere only four to con- 

 tend with, they decided on instant pursuit. As the deed had very 

 recently been done, they hoped to overtake them in their camp that 

 night, and perhaps before they could cross the Ohio River, to which 

 the Indians always retreated after a successful incursion, considering 

 themselves in a manner safe when they had crossed to its right bank, 

 at that time occupied wholly by the Indian tribes. 



