.
But vengeance they would have--now, before the whites were yet fastened
in the country, they would strike a blow, and drive them off for ever."
Then he talked of the plan before them. He advised them to descend the
Miami in their canoes, cross the Ohio, ascend the Licking, and then they
might paddle their boats almost to the station. His speech was answered
by a loud yell from the Indians, and they all started off for their
boats--Simon Girty, with his ruffled shirt and soldier coat, marching at
their head.

On the night of the 15th of August, they arrived before the station. In
the morning, as the gates were opened, the men were fired at by the
savages, and this was the first news to the whites of the approach of the
enemy. It was fortunate that they had shown themselves thus early: in two
hours more, most of the men were to have started off to aid a distant
feeble station. As soon as the whites found they were besieged, they
managed to send off the news to Lexington.

The Indians now, as usual, commenced their stratagems. The large body
concealed themselves in the grass near the pathway to the spring, while
one hundred went round and attacked the southeast angle of the station.
Their hope was to draw the whites all to that quarter, while they forced
an entrance on the other side. But the white men understood this sort of
cunning; they had lived among the Indians too long to be caught by such
tricks: instead of noticing the attack, they went on quietly with the
work of repairing and strengthening their palisades.

But water, one of the necessaries of life, was soon wanting. The whites,
as they looked at the tall grass and weeds near the spring, felt that
Indians were lurking there. The women now came forward and insisted upon
it that they would go and bring water. "What if they do shoot us?" they
said; "it is better to lose a woman than a man at such a time." With
that, they started out, and, strange to tell, went back and forth,
bringing supplies of water, without any difficulty. Some of the young men
now went out upon the same purpose. They had scarcely left the station,
when they were fired upon. Fortunately, the Indians were too far to do
any mischief; the men retreated rapidly within the palisades. The
Indians, finding their stratagem fruitless, now rushed forward, and
commenced a tremendous attack. The whites received them with a steady
fire, and many of them fell. Enraged the more, they now discharged their