erprise against the Indians. It was a retaliatory raid against the
Shawnees and his force was composed of whites and Cherokees; and his lack
of success was due largely to the inefficiency of the guides who undertook
to pilot him to the mouth of the Sandy. I told the girl of the expedition
as it was lacking in horrible details, and with other carefully selected
narratives tried to keep her from brooding.

She seldom mentioned her father, and when she did it was usually connected
with some phase of life over the mountains. I believe that she was so
thankful to know he escaped the torture that his death lost much of
poignancy. Only once did she revert to his taking off, and then to ask:

"Was there a single chance for him to escape?"

And I emphatically declared he never had the ghost of a chance from the
moment he fell into Black Hoof's hands.

Another ruse to keep her mind engaged was to trace out our course with a
stick on a patch of bare earth. I showed how we should travel to the north
fork of the Sandy and then strike to the head of Bluestone, and follow it
nearly to the mouth before leaving it to cross New River; then a short
journey to the Greenbriar and Howard's Creek.

Had I had any choice I should have preferred to take her over the
mountains to Salem, but my time was not my own and it was imperative that
I leave her at the first place of safety and be about Governor Dunmore's
business. My decision to make Howard's Creek was strengthened by an
adventure which befell us near the end of our first day on the Tug. We
were casting about for a place to camp when we came upon five Indians,
three squaws and two hunters.

Patricia was greatly frightened on beholding them, and it was some time
before I could make her understand that they were friendly Delawares,
accompanied by their women, and not painted nor equipped for war. After
calming her I addressed them and learned they were from White Eye's
village. They were afraid to go near the settlements.

Many "Long Knives," as they called the Virginia militia, were flocking to
the Great Levels of the Greenbriar, and a forward movement of a whole army
was shortly to be expected. As the presence of a large force of our
riflemen so near Howard's Creek would insure the safety of that settlement
I knew it to be the proper ending of our journey.

I induced Patricia to remain in camp with the Indians while I went out and
shot a bear. The bear was very fat and I gave all th