Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/359

 An Account of the Choktah Nation. 247

"fome of our barriers. He had not proceeded far, when he met the enraged Euhchee, on the hot purfuit. He told them their courfe, and that their number was twenty-fix. In running about twelve miles farther, they came in fight of the objects of their hatred and rage : prefently, they ran on each fide of them, engaged them clofely, and killed feveral. Thofe who efcaped, were forced to throw away nine guns, (they had taken from fome of our people) and almoft every thing, even their light breeches, to fave their lives. They were fo exceedingly terrified, left the enraged purfuers mould continue the chafe, that they pafied wide of our then weak fettlement of Ninety-Six, and kept on day and night, till they got near to their con ductor's mountainous country. This was in the beginning of May 1750: and in our Indian-trading way, we fay that, when the heat of the new year enables the fnakes to crawl out of their lurking holes, the favages are equally moved to' turn out to do mifchief. Many have experimentally felt the truth -of this remark.

I had at this time occafion to go to the Cheerake country; and happened to have a brave chearful companion, Mr. H. F. of Ninety- Six fettlement. We had taken a hearty draught of punch, about ten miles from Keeohwhee-town, oppofite to which the late Fort-Prince-George flood, and were proceeding along, when we difcovered the frefh tracks of Indians in the path, who were gone a-head. As we could not reafonably have the leaft fufpicion of their being enemies, we rode quite carelefly : but they proved to be the above-mentioned Monongahela-Indians. Their watchfulnefs, and our finging, with the noife of our horfes feet, made them hear us before they could pofiibly fee us, when they fuddenly pofted themfelves off" the path, behind fome trees, juft in the valley of Six-mile- creek, in order to revenge their lofs by the Euhchee, which they afcribed to the information of the white man. But their Cheerake guide prevented them from attempting it, by telling them, that as his country was not at war with us, his life muft pay for it, if they chanced to kill either of us ; and as we were frefh and well-armed, they might be 'fure we would fight them fo fuccefsfully, as at leaft one of us mould elcape and alarm the towns : with this caution they forbore the hazardous attempt. They fquat- ted, and kept clofe therefore, fo as we did not fee one of them ; and we fufpected no danger. By the difcontinuance of their tracks, we foon Jknew we had pafTed them ; but, juft when we had hidden two cags of

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