how us fresh signs and we're like
good dogs on the scent. We'd better go to the rollin'."

"There's many Indians who need killing badly," I said. "But if you men
persist in killing friendly Indians we'll have the Delawares joining in
with the Shawnees and Mingos."

"We don't hanker for any more Moravian missionary talk," coldly warned
Runner. "As for the Delawares dipping into the dish, let 'em come. Let 'em
all come together! The sooner we smoke their bacon, the sooner the Holston
and Clinch and Tygart's Valley will be safe for our women and children. As
for that old cuss of a Bald Eagle, we're right glad you seen him. It shows
others will see him. That's the sort of a notice we're serving on every
redskin in Virginia."

It was obvious they would not relinquish their plan of visiting Howard's
Creek, and it was equally plain they preferred to travel without my
company. So I returned to the trace and mounted and rode on.

As I neared the creek I came upon several settlers hurrying in from their
isolated cabins, and I was pleased to see they had taken time to collect
their few cattle and bring them along. Of the five men I talked with there
were only two who had guns. The others were armed with axes and big clubs
of oak.

One lean fellow carried a long sapling to the end of which he had made
fast a long butcher-knife. One of the gunmen said to me that he hoped
there would be "a lively chunk of a fight" although he and his friend had
only one charge of powder apiece. These two were young men, and like many
of their generation they imitated the Indian to the extent of wearing
thigh-leggings and breech-clouts.

The ends of the latter were passed through the belt in front and behind,
and were allowed to hang down in flaps. These flaps were decorated with
crude beadwork. Around their heads they wore red kerchiefs. Two of the
older men had wives. These women would impress a resident of the seacoast
as being stolid of face.

In reality the continuous apprehension of an Indian raid had frozen their
features into a wooden expression. Their eyes were alive enough. I counted
ten children, six of whom were girls. I do not think one of the youngsters
was more than twelve years old.

The boys were continually bemoaning their lack of guns. The girls seemed
happy over the adventure and prattled a stream about the new people they
would see at the creek. I think every one of them had brought along a doll
made from rags, corn-cobs