The second night of their retreat, the woman formed a resolution worthy of the most intrepid hero. She thought she should be able to get from her hands the manacles by which they were confined, and determined if she did so to make a desperate effort for the recovery of her freedom. To this purpose, when she concluded that her conquerors were in their soundest sleep, she strove to slip the cords from her hands. In this she succeeded; and cautioning her son, whom they had suffered to go unbound, in a whisper, against being surprised at what she was about to do, she removed to a distance with great wariness the defensive weapons of the Indians, which lay by their sides.

Having done this, she put one of the tomahawks into the hands of the boy, bidding him to follow her example; and taking another herself, fell upon the sleeping Indians, several of whom she instantly despatched. But her attempt was nearly frustrated by the imbecility of her son, who, wanting both strength and resolution, made a feeble stroke at one of them, which only served to awaken him: she however sprung at the rising warrior, and before he could recover 'his arms, made him sink under the weight of her tomahawk; and this she alternately did to

all the rest, except one of the women, who awoke in time, and made her escape.

The heroine then took off the scalps of her vanquished enemies, and seizing also those they were carrying away with them as proofs of their success, she returned in triumph to the town from whence she had so lately been dragged, to the great astonishment of her neighbors, who could scarcely credit their senses, or the testimonies she bore of her amazonian intrepidity.

When the Indians are pursued, as they frequently are, in their retreat from the enemy's country, they make use of many stratagems to elude the search of their pursuers. They sometimes scatter leaves, sand, or dust over the prints of their feet; sometimes tread in each other's footsteps; and sometimes lift their feet so high, and tread so lightly, as not to make any impression on the ground. But if they find all these precautions unavailing, and that they are near being overtaken, they first despatch and scalp their prisoners, and then dividing, each endeavors to regain his native country by a different route. This prevents all farther pursuit; for their pursuers now despairing, either of gratifying their revenge, or

of releasing those of their friends who were made captives, return home.

If the successful party is so lucky as to make good their retreat unmolested, they hasten with the greatest expedition to reach a country where they may be perfectly secure; and that their wounded companions may not retard their flight, they carry them by turns in litters, or if it is in the winter-season draw them on sledges.

Their litters are made in a rude manner of the branches of trees. Their sledges consist of two small thin boards, about a foot wide when joined, and near six feet long. The fore-part is turned up, and the sides are bordered with small bands. The Indians draw these carriages with great ease, be they ever so much loaded, by means of a string which passes round the breast.*

We have spoken of Indian warfare as it is carried on by the tribes against each other. Their mode of fighting the whites has always been somewhat different from this, as might be expected from the different circumstances. They scarcely ever fail to make their attack upon a civilized force, when an opportunity occurs, just before day-break, at which period they

* Carver.

suppose the foes to be in their soundest sleep. Throughout the whole of the preceding night they will lie flat upon their faces, without stirring; and they make their approaches in the same posture, creeping upon their hands and feet till they are within bow-shot of those they have destined to destruction. On a signal given by the chief warrior, to which the whole body makes answer by the most hideous yells, they all start up, and discharging their arrows in the same instant, without giving their adversaries time to recover from the confusion into which they are thrown, pour in upon them with their war-clubs or tomahawks.

It is a principal maxim with all the tribes to do as much damage as possible with the least possible hazard to themselves. The celebrated defeat of General Braddock, near the Ohio River, is a fair specimen of this mode of warfare. His army consisted of about two thousand well disciplined and brave men. On his march through the wilderness towards Fort Du Quesne (now Pitsburgh) they were intercepted by a body of Indians in the French interest. So securely were the latter posted, that the English scarcely knew who were their enemies, or from what direction came the attacks. The

remnant of the army, under the command of • Colonel (afterwards General) Washington, were finally compelled to retreat without even the satisfaction of seeing the Indian force, or making the least return of their terrible attack. The savages lost in all only two or three of their men wounded.

The more completely to illustrate the general character of Indian warfare with the whites, we introduce a passage from Flint's 'History of the Western States,' conveying a striking picture of what has always been the situation of our remote settlers during a contest with the savages on the borders of the country.

The family referred to in the present instance, resided on what is still called Coope's Run, in Bourbon County, Kentucky. The event occurred on the 11th of April, 1787, during a period of general war between the Americans and the North-Western tribes.

The family consisted of the mother, two sons of mature age, a widowed daughter with an infant in her arms, two grown daughters, and a daughter of ten years. They occupied a double cabin. In one division were the two grown daughters and the smaller girl; in the other, the remainder of the family. At evening