 The first few years that Alder lived with the Indians he was very ill , a condition Alder attributed to the Indians ' diet . The other children in the village were friendly towards Alder , and worked together to teach him their language , customs , and traditions . In time , Alder fully adopted the Mingo way of life ; he lived , hunted , and fought as an Indian . When he was old enough he was given an English musket , which he used to hunt mud turtles , wild turkeys , and raccoons . He was praised in the village for his hunting skills . He grew attached to his new life and when , in 1783 , a trader from Kentucky offered to exchange him for a Shawnee prisoner , Alder refused . Alder was living in the Indian village of Mack @-@ a @-@ chack when it was destroyed by Benjamin Logan during his raid into Ohio Country in 1786 , and he accompanied the Indians on raids into Kentucky to steal horses from white settlers . 
