Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/203

DELAWARE COUNTY. 179 was dealing out his blows, and exclaimed, D — n a man who will promise an Indian protection, and then knock him on the head !" Shanks, when he heard the report of the guns, jumped into the river, and pretended to be wounded and drowning, until, the current had carried him down stream a short distance, to a place where the bank was covered with bushes. Here he scrambled on the shore, and ran off limping, hallooing, and groaning as if in great agony. The ruse did not deceive Tom, however ; who, finding that Shanks was travelling pretty fast for a man who was apparently so badly wounded, started in pursuit, loading his rifle as he went, and soon got sufficiently near to fire. At the moment he snapped his gun. Shanks looked back, and as Tom shot, fell. The Indian afterwards said that he dodged at the flash of his gun. Be this as it may, Tom did not hit him. A ball-hole was afterwards found through his blanket, but whether made by Cobe or Tom could not be ascertained. After the last discharge of the gun, Huycon took to his heels in earnest ; and Tom found that Jits shanks were neither active nor long enough to overtake him. He returned to the " rocks," saying, if ever legs did service, it was them." Two weeks had elapsed since the Indian chiefs passed through Cochecton, when Shanks returned alone, damning the Yankees for killing Canope," and swearing that they should suffer for what they had done. He was first seen at a house a short distance from Cochecton bridge, where he stopped to rest and get something to eat. While he was there, Mrs. Drake, whose father-in-law and first and second husbands were killed by savages and tories, came into the house. Almost immedi- ately after seeing the savage she fainted, so great was her dread of those who had slain so many of her near and dear friends. He was next seen by Mr. Joseph Ross, who invited him to tarry a while at his house ; but he refused to come near