he strength of the savages in the hills along the creek, and I
was directed to reconnoiter.

I made for the creek from the south slope of the ridge. Sliding down the
muddy bank, I ascended the opposite slope and began making my way toward
the point where the creek cut through the ridge. I encountered no Indians,
although axes and knives on the ground showed where they had been
stationed before retiring.

I passed through the cut and was suddenly confronted by what I thought at
first must be the devil. The fellow was wearing the head of a buffalo,
horns and tangled forelock and all. Through the eye-slits gleamed living
eyes. The shock of his grotesque appearance threw me off my guard for a
moment. He leaped upon me and we went down the bank into the bed of the
creek.

He had his ax ready to use but I caught his hand. His hideous mask proved
to be his undoing, for as we rolled about it became twisted. I was quick
to see my advantage. Relying on one hand to hold his wrist, I used all my
quickness and strength and succeeded in turning the mask half-way around,
leaving him blind and half-smothered. I killed him with his own ax before
he could remove his cumbersome headgear.

As none of his companions had come to his rescue I knew this marked their
most advanced position in the hills. Having learned all I could without
sacrificing my life, I began my retreat down the creek and narrowly
escaped being shot by one of our own men.

Captain Shelby ordered me to report to Colonel Lewis, which I did, running
at top speed without attempting to keep under cover. I found the reserves
had thrown up a breastwork from the Ohio to the Kanawha, thus inclosing
the camp on the Point. It lacked half an hour of sunset when I reached the
camp.

Colonel Lewis heard me, then ordered Captains Isaac Shelby, Arbuckle,
Matthews and Stuart to lead their companies up Crooked Creek under cover
of the bank until they could secure a position behind the Indians and
enfilade their main line. I scouted ahead of this force. We circled the
end of the Indian line, but were at once discovered.

Instead of this being our undoing, it proved to be all in our favor.
Cornstalk's spies had kept him informed of Colonel Christian's presence a
few miles from the Point. He took it for granted that this force in the
hills behind his line was reinforcements brought up by Christian, and this
belief caused him to order a general retirement across Old Town Creek. At
tha