Part 8 (2/2)
Kenton re forward to certain death, and most probably torture, as soon as he should reach their town Their rage against hiularthe horses which Kenton had taken, was a wild young colt, wholly unbroken, and with all his honors of mane and tail undocked Upon him Kenton was mounted, without saddle or bridle, with his hands tied behind him, and his feet fastened under the horse's belly The country was rough and bushy, and Kenton had no h which it was expected that the colt would dash As soon as the rider was firmly fastened to his back, the colt was turned loose with a sudden lash, but, after curvetting and capricoling for awhile, to the great distress of Kenton, but to the infinite amusement of the Indians, he appeared to take co into a line with the other horses, avoided the brambles entirely, and went on very well In this ht he was taken from the horse, and confined as before
On the third day, they came within a few miles of Chillicothe Here the party halted, and sent forward a er to prepare for their reception In a short ti Kenton with a stern countenance, thundered out in very good English: ”You have been stealing horses?”
”Yes, sir”
”Did Captain Boone tell you to steal our horses?”
”No, sir, I did it of my own accord”
Blackfisha hickory switch, he applied it so briskly to Kenton's naked back and shoulders, as to bring the blood freely, and occasion acute pain
Thus, alternately scolded and beaten, Kenton was conducted to the village All the inhabitants, men, woht of the prisoner; and all, down to the se They whooped, they yelled, they hooted, they clapped their hands, and poured upon him a flood of abuse, to which all that he had yet experienced was courteous and civil
With loud cries, they demanded that their prisoner should be tied to the stake The hint was instantly co well thrashed and tor further amusement to his captors
[Illustration: DEATH OF MONTGOMERY]
Early in the o in the air, before the door of one of their principal houses, he was led out, and ordered to run the gauntlet A row of boys, women, and men, extended to the distance of a quarter of a rim warriors with butcher knives in their hands At the extre a drum; and a few paces beyond the drum was the door of the council-house Clubs, switches, hoe-handles, and to the whole line, and, as Kenton saw these formidable preparations, the cold sweat strea arrived, the great drum at the door of the council-house was struck; and Kenton sprang forward in the race He, however, avoided the row of his ene to the east, drew the whole party in pursuit of hith observing an opening he darted through it, and pressed forward to the council-house with a rapidity which left his pursuers far behind One or two of the Indians succeeded in throwing theoal, and from these alone he received a fes, but was much less injured than he could at first have supposed possible
After the race was over, a council to decide his fate was held, while he was handed over, naked and bound, to the care of a guard in the open air The deliberation coe warclub was passed round the circle Those ere opposed to burning the prisoner on the spot, were to pass the club in silence to the next warrior Those in favor of burning were to strike the earth violently with the club before passing it
A teller was appointed to count the votes This dignitary reported that the opposition had prevailed; and that it was determined to take the prisoner to an Indian town on Mad river, called Waughcotoado white man, who acted as interpreter
Kenton asked ”what the Indians intended to do with hihcotoado, with a ferocious oath
After this pleasant assurance, the laconic and scowling interpreter walked away
The prisoner's clothes were restored to him, and he was permitted to remain unbound Thanks to the intimation of the interpreter, he are of the fate in reserve for hihcoto in thickets and undergrowth During the whole of thean effort for the recovery of his liberty, and as often shrinking froth he was aroused frouns, and raising the shrill scalp-halloo The signal was soon answered, and the deep roll of a dru to the unhappy prisoner, that they were approaching an Indian tohere the gauntlet, certainly, and perhaps the stake awaited him
The idea of a repetition of the dreadful scenes he had just encountered, overca cry, he sprung into the bushes, and fled with the speed of a wild deer The pursuit was instant and keen Some of his pursuers were on horseback, so for his life The stake and the hot iron, and the burning splinters were before his eyes, and he soon distanced the swiftest hunter in pursuit
But fate was against hiot that there ht be an eneed into the center of a fresh party of horseuns, and happened, unfortunately, to stu a last effort for freedom His heart sunk at once from the ardor of hope to the lowest pit of despair, and he was again haltered and driven into captivity like an ox to the slaughter
On the second day he arrived at Waughcotoauntlet, in which he was severely hurt
Immediately after this ceremony, he was taken to the council-house, and all the warriors once more assembled to determine his fate
He sat silent and dejected upon the floor of the cabin, when the door of the council-house opened, and Simon Girty, James Girty, John Ward, and an Indian, caether with seven children and seven scalps Kenton was immediately removed from the council-house, and the deliberations of the assembly were protracted to a very late hour, in consequence of the arrival of the last-nath he was again su inforreeted with a savage scohich, if he had still cherished a spark of hope, would have couished it Simon Girty threw a blanket upon the floor, and harshly ordered him to take a seat upon it The order was not i his arhly upon the blanket, and pulled hiated him as to the condition of Kentucky
”How many men are there in Kentucky?”