Thus one set of traditions ascribe to Brady an adventure in which when
bound to a stake, he escaped by suddenly throwing an Indian child into
the fire, and dashing off unhurt in the confusion; but other traditions
ascribe the feat not to Brady, but to some other wild hunter of the day.
Again one of the favorite tales of Brady is his escape from a band of
pursuing Indians, by an extraordinary leap across a deep ravine, at the
bottom of which flowed a rapid stream; but in some traditions this leap
appears as made by another frontier hero, or even by an Indian whom
Brady himself was pursuing. It is therefore a satisfaction to come
across, now and then, some feat which is attested by contemporaneous
testimony. There is such contemporary record for one of Brady's deeds,
which took place towards the close of the Revolutionary war.
Brady's Feats.
Brady had been on a raid in the Indian country and was returning. His
party had used all their powder and had scattered, each man going
towards his own home, as they had nearly reached the settlements. Only
three men were left with Brady, the four had but one charge of powder
apiece, and even this had been wet in crossing a stream, though it had
been carefully dried afterwards.
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