he had dropped his rifle. Higgins knew that if he
recovered that, his own case was desperate. Throwing, therefore, his
rifle barrel aside, and drawing his hunting knife he rushed upon his
foe. A desperate strife ensued--deep gashes were inflicted on both
sides. Higgins, fatigued and exhausted by the loss of blood, was no
longer a match for the savage. The latter succeeded in throwing his
adversary from him, and went immediately in pursuit of his rifle.
Higgins at the same time rose and sought for the gun of the other
Indian. Both, therefore, bleeding and out of breath, were in search of
arms to renew the combat.

"The smoke had now passed away, and a large number of Indians were in
view. Nothing, it would seem, could now save the gallant ranger. There
was, however, an eye to pity and an arm to save, and that arm was a
woman's. The little garrison had witnessed the whole combat. It
consisted of but six men and one woman; that woman, however, was a
host--a Mrs. Pursley. When she saw Higgins contending single-handed with
a whole tribe of savages, she urged the rangers to attempt his rescue.
The rangers objected, as the Indians were ten to one. Mrs. Pursley,
therefore, snatched a rifle from her husband's hand, and declaring that
'so fine a fellow as Tom Higgins should not be lost for want of help,'
mounted a horse and sallied forth to his rescue.

"The men, unwilling to be outdone by a woman, followed at full gallop,
reached the spot where Higgins had fainted and fell, before the Indians
came up, and while the savage with whom he had been engaged was looking
for his rifle, his friends lifted the wounded ranger up and throwing him
across a horse before one of the party, reached the fort in safety.

"Higgins was insensible for several days, and his life was preserved by
continued care. His friends extracted two of the balls from his thigh.
Two, however, yet remained, one of which gave him a good deal of pain.
Hearing afterwards that a physician had settled within a day's ride of
him, he determined to go and see him. The physician asked him fifty
dollars for the operation. This Higgins flatly refused, saying that it
was more than half a year's pension. On reaching home he found that the
exercise of riding had made the ball discernable; he requested his wife,
therefore, to hand him his razor. With her assistance he laid open his
thigh until the edge of the razor touched the bullet, then, inserting
his two thumbs into the gash