Among the 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 means of protecting his face from the brambles, through 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 compassion on his rider, and, falling into a line with the other horses, avoided the brambles entirely, and went on very well.  In this manner he rode through the day.  At night 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 messenger to prepare for their reception.  In a short time, Blackfish, one of their chiefs, arrived, and regarding 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.”

Blackfish made no reply to this frank confession; but, brandishing a 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, women, and children, ran out to feast their eyes with a sight of the prisoner; and all, down to the smallest child, appeared in a paroxysm of rage.  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 complied with; but, after being well thrashed and tormented, he was released for the purpose of furnishing further amusement to his captors.

[Illustration:  Death of Montgomery.]

Early in the morning, he beheld the scalp of Montgomery stretched upon a hoop, and drying 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 mile.  At the starting-place, stood two grim warriors with butcher knives in their hands.  At the extremity of the line, was an Indian beating a drum; and a few paces beyond the drum was the door of the council-house.  Clubs, switches, hoe-handles, and tomahawks, were brandished along the whole line, and, as Kenton saw these formidable preparations, the cold sweat streamed from his pores.