and you, gentlemen, with your wives and children, will become victims to an unrelenting, cruel foe.  Death will then be the mildest of your punishments.  I would save you from this.  I am one of your race; and, although on the side of your enemy, would at this time counsel and act toward you a friendly part.  Do you not know me?  I am Simon Girty—­an agent of the British.  Take my advice and surrender now your fort into my hands, and I swear to you not a single hair of your heads shall be harmed.  But if you hold out until you are carried by storm I can not save you; for the Indians will have become thirsty for your blood, and no commander on earth could then restrain them.  Be not hasty in rejecting my friendly offer.  It is for your good I have spoken—­and so weigh the matter well.  I pause for an answer.”

The effect of Girty’s speech upon the garrison, was to alarm them not a little.  His mention of reinforcements with cannon, caused many a stout heart to tremble, and many a face to blanch and turn to its neighbor with an expression of dismay.  Against cannon they knew, as Girty stated, resistance would be of no avail; and cannon had, in 1780, advanced up the Licking Valley, and destroyed Riddle’s and Martin’s stations.  If Girty told the truth, their case was truly alarming.

As the renegade concluded, Reynolds—­who saw the effect his words had produced, and who, knowing him better than any of the others, believed his whole tale to be false—­at once begged leave to reply for the garrison, which was immediately granted.  Placing himself in full view of Girty, he answered as follows, in a tone of raillery: 

“Well done, my old worthy companion! and are you really there, carrying out another of your noble and humane designs?  When, O when, I humbly beg to know, will your philanthropic efforts end?  I suppose not until death has laid his claim, and the devil has got his due.  You ask us if we know you.  What! not know the amiable Simon Girty, surnamed the Renegade?  Could you indeed for a moment suppose such a thing possible?  Know you?  Why, we have an untrusty, worthless cur-dog in the fort here, that has been named Simon Girty, in compliment to you—­he is so like you in every thing that is ugly, wicked and mean.  You say you expect reinforcements of artillery.  Well, if you stay in this quarter long, I know of no one that will be more likely to need them than yourself and the cowardly cut-throats who call you chief.  We too expect reinforcements; for the country is roused in every direction; and if you remain here twenty-four hours longer, the scalps of yourself and companions will be drying on our cabins.  Bring on your cannon and blaze away as soon as you please!  We shall fear you not, even then; for if you succeed in entering, along with your naked, rascally companions, we shall set our old women to work, and have you scourged to death with rods, of which we have on hand a goodly stock for the purpose.  And now to wind up, allow me to say I believe you to be a liar, and know you to be a most depraved, inhuman villain.  This knowledge of your character is not second-hand.  I paid dearly for it, by a year’s captivity.  I defied you when in your power:  I spit at and defy you now in behalf of the garrison!  My name you may remember.  It is Algernon Reynolds.  What would you more?"[23]