Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/347

DELAWARE COUNTY. 323 might discover iiim soon^ or that others might arrive, concluded it best to shoot one, and hazard a running fight with the other two. He accordingly fired, brought down his man — and rushed behind a very large tree. Before they had recovered from their panic, he discharged his other rifle barrel and mortally wounded a second. The only remaining Indian fired | the ball passed through the bark of one side of the tree, within a few inches of Murphy's face. The Indian then seized a rifle from one who was rolling and howling over the ground. By this time Murphy had reloaded his rifle, and both of them sprang behind trees some fifty yards apart. The moment one looked out, the rifle of the other was raised, and the head im- mediately drawn back. At last Murphy put his hat on the end of his ramrod, and pushed it showly to the side of the tree. The Indian immediately fired — his ball passed through the centre of the hat. The hat was then dropped, when the Indian rushed up with hatchet and scalping knife. Murphy fired — ^he staggered a few paces forward, and fell down dead. The Indian was very large and powerful, and Murphy being exceedingly angry, skinned his legs, and drew the skin over his stockings. He then went in pursuit of his companions. He was unable to find them, and about 10 o'clock at night he stopped, and kindled a fire' on the side of a little rivulet, where he roasted a small piece of the deer, which he had carried in his -pocket. He had also a small biscuit, which he ate with his meat. After his repast, he procured water from the brook, with which he extinguised the fire. He proceeded on a quarter of a mile farther ; he crept in among the limbs of a tree, that apparently had fallen a few days before. In the morning, he advanced several miles, when he was unexpectedly surrounded by a large body of Indians, who had followed in his trail. He shot down two, who were on the side in which he wished to fly. Several of the Indians fip.ed, and as he afterwards often remarked, the balls whistled by him. He ran with the utmost