the early history of kentucky is one continued series of daring and romantic adventures. had the founder of that state lived in the days of chivalric yore, his exploits would have been sung in connection with those of arthur and orlando; and his followers, in the same region, would certainly have been knights of the round table.
the hero of our story was one of these. those who desire to inspect his adventure, by the light of romance, will not be displeased at learning that his choice of a hunter's life was determined by a disappointment in the object of his early love.
he was then only nineteen, yet he fearlessly left his native state, and sought, amid the uncultivated wilds of kentucky, the stirring enjoyment of a western hunter. after rendering valuable service to the virginia colony, as a spy and pioneer, he undertook a voyage of discovery to the country north of the ohio. it was while thus engaged that he was taken prisoner by the indians.
he was, no doubt, known to the indians as an active and dangerous enemy; and they now prepared to avenge themselves upon him. they condemned him to the fiery torture, painted his body black, and marched him toward chilicothe. by way of amusement on the road, he was manacled hand and foot, tied to an unbridled and unbroken horse, and driven off amid the shouts and whoops of the savages; poor butler thus played the part of an american mazeppa. the horse, unable to shake him off galloped with terrific speed toward the wood, jarring and bruising the rider at every step; but at length, exhausted and subdued, it returned to camp with its burden, amid the exulting shouts of the savages. when within a mile of chilicothe, they took butler from the horse, and tied him to a stake, where, for twenty-four hours, he remained in one position. he was then untied to run the gauntlet. six hundred indians, men, women, and children, armed with clubs and switches, arranged themselves in two parallel lines, to strike him as he passed. it was a mile to the council-house, which if he reached, he was to be spared. a blow started him on this encouraging race; but he soon broke through the files and had almost reached the council-house, when he was brought to the ground by a club. in this position he was severely beaten and again taken into custody.
these terrible sufferings, instead of satisfying the indians, only stimulated them to invent more ingenious tortures. their cruelty was not more astonishing than the fortitude of the victim. he ran the gauntlet thirteen times; he was exposed to insult, privation, and injury of every kind: sometimes he was tied, sometimes beaten. at others, he was pinched, dragged on the ground, or deprived for long periods of sleep. then, amid jeers and yells, he was marched from village to village, so that all might be entertained with his sufferings. yet, amid each torture, he never failed to improve an opportunity favorable for escaping, and in one instance would have effected it, but for some indians whom he accidentally met returning to the village. finally it was resolved to burn him at lower sandusky. the procession, bearing the victim to the stake, passed by the cabin of simon girty, whose name is a counterpart to that of brandt, in the annals of pennsylvania. this man had just returned from an unsuccessful expedition to the frontier of that state, burning, of course, with disappointment, and a thirst for revenge. hearing that a white prisoner was being carried to the torture, he rushed out, threw butler down, and began to beat him.
the reader will not be apt to imagine that this was in any way favorable to butler's escape; yet it was so. he instantly recognised in the fierce assailant a companion of early days, and as such made himself known. the heart of the savage relented. he raised up his old friend, promised to use his influence for him, summoned a council, and persuaded the indians to resign butler to him. taking the unfortunate man home, he fed and nursed him until he began to recover. but five days had scarcely expired, when the indians relented, seizing their victim, and marched him to be burned at lower sandusky. by a surprising coincidence, he here met the indian agent from detroit, who interceded and saved him. he was taken to that town, paroled by the governor, and subsequently escaped through the woods to kentucky.
