MD3PAD 679-681

[Toby G Levy]

        Dixon is insistent. They must defer to the will of the Indian
leaders and go no further west.  Mason does not agree and continues to
argue with the Indians and their guide. At some point during eleven
days in October (another example of an eleven day span!) while they are
stalled beside Drunkard Creek, Mason and Dixon switch sides and Dixon
tries to get the Indians to agree by charming them.

        At last they are allowed to go across the Great Warrior Path and
are able to extend the line just a little more to the west before the
gathering presence of other Indian tribes convince everyone that there
is no future in going any further. They are on top of Laurel Hill where
Mason thinks he can see the Ohio River, about forty miles to the west.

        Mason and Dixon decide to just ride out to the river so that
they can say at least they were there.  Mason rides a horse named
Creeping Nick, which was the same horse that he was riding in New
Jersey when he injured his hip. They travel at night and when they reach
the river, they are met by Delaware Indian Chief Catfish and his
friends, carrying rifles.

        Mason and Dixon notice the inverted star on the rifle stock and
tell Catfish it is an evil symbol and ought to be removed. Catfish tells
them he took it from an evil Englishman that very day and shows Mason
and Dixon the Englishman's bloody scalp. Both Mason and Dixon assume the
scalp belonged to the last person they saw with a rifle bearing the
inverted star. They do not mention the person's name. Was it Capt
Shelby?

        The crew put in the last mile markers along the line, while
people keep leaving the company without giving notice. On November 5th
the line is completed.

Toby