Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/348

 824 HISTORY OF velocity, and after leaving them far behind, lie managed to reload liis rifle as lie ran. But the skin of the Indian having shrunk, began to gall his legs, whereupon, he took his hunting knife and ripped it off. Yet his legs were so galled that his speed was greatly retarded, and he had not advanced more than two miles more, before a dozen Indians were in view. ^Twas then that his courage began to forsake him; faint and tired, he was ready to sink upon the ground. We've got you at last !" exclaimed one, and coming up, struck him a blow over the shoulders with the end of his musket. It was then that Murphy, Stood a foe with all the zeal, That young and fiery converts feel, Within whose burning bosom throngs The memory of a thousand wrongs and turning indignantly around, he dashed his brains out at a blow. The others came up yelling like wolves sure of their prey. Murphy again plunged with his gun and the Indian's, into the woods ; but finding himself unable to run, he stopped abruptly behind a tree and discharged his own, and the In- dian's gun. On his firing the second time, their superstitious fears began to rise, but when he fired the third time, they were confirmed in their suspicions of his being leagued with the Wicked Spirit, to destroy them, and believing that he could shoot all day, they immediately decamped with all speed. He did not stop for a scalp, but slowly wended his way toward the fort, where he arrived in safety. ANECDOTES, ETC. At one time Murphy, and a small body of riflemen were.dis- spatched to destroy an Indian and tory village near TJnadilla. After a laborious march through marshes, and over mountains,