Chapter Fifteen
A Father’s LoveThe seasons slipped by and the Hershbergers entered their fourth year of captivity. Jonas kept up his charade of madness, and the Indians treated him kindly but kept their distance. Joshua worked hard at the most menial of tasks and even though the fare given to them as slaves was scanty, he kept up his strength and actually grew stronger and more physically fit. For many months Joshua and Jonas had been trying to find a way to escape, but the nearest settlement was far away, and there were always warriors in the village.
These were days of great activity in Shawnee Town. Word came to Wingenund that settlers were moving into Ohio and Kentucky, taking lands that had been given to the Indians by treaty. Another act by the settlers that angered Wingenund was
