sad man, Jim, and didn't look
for much comfort this side Jordan.... I wish I know'd whar he'd gotten
to."

Squire Boone, the speaker's brother, sniffed the air dolefully. "It's
weather that 'ud wander a good hunter."

"I tell ye, ye couldn't wander Jim," said his brother fiercely. "He come
into Kaintuckee alone in '52, and that was two years before Finley. He
was on the Ewslip all the winter of '58. He was allus springing out of a
bush when ye didn't expect him. When we was fighting the Cherokees with
Montgomery in '61 he turned up as guide to the Scotsmen, and I reckon if
they'd attended to him there'ud be more of them alive this day. He was
like a lone wolf, old Jim, and preferred to hunt by hisself, but you
never knowed that he wouldn't come walking in and say 'Howdy' while you
was reckoning you was the fust white man to make that trace. Wander Jim?
Ye might as well speak of wandering a hakk."

"Maybe the Indians have got his sculp," said Neely.

"I reckon not," said Boone. "Leastways if they have, he must ha' struck
a new breed of redskin. Jim was better nor any redskin in Kaintuck',
and they knowed it. I told ye, neighbours, of our doings before you come
west through the Gap. The Shawnees cotched me and Jim in a cane-brake,
and hit our trace back to camp, so that they cotched Finley too, and his
three Yadkiners with him. Likewise they took our hosses, and guns and
traps and the furs we had gotten from three months' hunting. Their chief
made a speech saying we had no right in Kaintuckee and if they cotched
us again our lives'ud pay for it. They'd ha' sculped us if it hadn't
been for Jim, but you could see they knew him, and was feared of
him. Wal, Finley reckoned the game was up, and started back with the
Yadkiners. Cooley and Joe Holden and Mooneyiye mind them, Squire! But I
was feeling kinder cross and wanted my property back, and old Jim--why,
he wasn't going to be worsted by no redskins. So we trailed the
Shawnees, us two, and come up with them one night encamped beside a
salt-lick. Jim got into their camp while I was lying shivering in the
cane, and blessed if he didn't snake back four of our hosses and our
three best Deckards. Tha's craft for ye. By sunrise we was riding south
on the Warriors' Path but the hosses was plumb tired, and afore
midday them pizonous Shawnees had cotched up with us. I can tell ye,
neighbours, the hair riz on my head, for I expected nothing better than
a bloody sculp and six feet