One morning, late in the season last named, two Christian Indians of Gnadenhutten having gone out to look in the woods for strayed horses, were met by a chieftain at the head of eighty warriors, who without ceremony made them both captives. "Then," says Heckewelder, "taking a course through the woods, until they had come within a short distance of Gnadenhutten, they rested until nearly break of day, guarding the Brethren, that they might not escape and give information of them. The day approaching, they moved on, and having surrounded the town completely, hailed the inhabitants, to deliver into their hands the chief, Gelelemend, (Kill-Buck) with the other chiefs and councilors; whom they must have either alive or dead." [FN] The party being informed, that not one of those they were in search of, was here at the time, but had all gone to Pittsburg some time past, they then searched every house, stable and cellar; and being finally satisfied that they had been told the truth, they demanded that deputies, consisting of the principal men of the three towns, should be called together, to hear what they had to say to them. The principal men assembled from Salem and Shonbrun; and Buckongahelas, for such they discovered him to be, addressed them as follows: * * * * * [FN] Their object was, to take these off to a place where they would have them under _their_ control, and prevent them from governing the nation while the war lasted; it being a custom with the Indians, that as soon as the peace-chief has gave his consent to war measures, his office ceases, and the power is vested in the head captains of the nation, until his services, in making peace are again wanted. "Friends!--Listen to what I say to you! You see a great and powerful nation divided! You see the father fighting against the son, and the son against the father!--The father has called on his Indian children, to assist him in punishing his children, the Americans, who have become refractory!--I took time to consider what I should do--whether or not I should receive the hatchet of my father, to assist him!--At first I looked upon it as a family quarrel, in which I was not interested--However, at length it appeared to me, that the father was in the right; and his children deserved to be punished a little!--That this must be the case, I concluded from the many cruel acts his off-spring had committed from time to time, on his Indian children; in encroaching on their land, stealing their property, shooting at, and murdering without cause, men, women and children--Yes! even murdering those, who at all times had been friendly to them, and were placed for protection under the roof of their father's house--The father himself standing centry at the door, at the time." The writer here referred to a number of Pennsylvanian Indians, murdered in a _jail,_ where they were placed for security against the whites. The sentry was the jailer. He continued thus: