fear to risk my own poor body in defence o' others, I reckon as
how my past life'll speak for itself; and for the futer, wharsomever
Colonel Todd dars to venter, Daniel Boone dars to lead. As to _glory_,
we'll talk about that arter the battle's fought."

Thus ended the discussion; and the matter being put to vote, it was
carried by an overwhelming majority in favor of Todd's proposition, that
the Indians should be pursued without further delay. It was now about
three o'clock in the afternoon; and immediately on the final decision
being made, the council broke up, and orders were rapidly given to
prepare to depart forthwith. All the horses in or about the station
were now collected together, on which most of the officers and many of
the privates were soon mounted; and by four o'clock the eastern gate
was thrown open, the order to march given by Colonel Todd, and the
procession, composed of the flower of Kentucky's gallant sons, moved
forth, amid sighs and tears from the opposite sex. Reynolds--who, during
the past two or three days, since the retreat of the enemy, had employed
his leisure moments in the company of the being he loved, and who was
now finely mounted on a superb charger which had been presented him by
Colonel Boone--turned upon his saddle, as he was leaving the station,
and waved another adieu to Ella, who stood in the door of her cottage,
gazing upon his noble form, with a pale cheek, tearful eye, and beating
heart. She raised her lily hand, and, with a graceful motion, returned
his parting salute; and then, to conceal her emotion, retired into the
house.

The Indians, it was found, had followed the buffalo trace, and,
according to the account given by the scouts, had made their trail
obvious as possible, by hacking the trees on either side with their
tomahawks. Their camp fires, however, were very few, comparatively
speaking, which to Boone seemed plainly evident of a desire to mask
their numbers. He had lived in the woods all his life, was the oldest
settler on the borders, and had been several times a prisoner of the
Indians; so that he was familiar with their artifices for decoying their
enemies; and he believed, from what he saw, that it was their desire to
be followed by the whites; and that they would probably seek to draw the
latter into an ambuscade in the vicinity of the Blue Licks, where the
wild country was particularly favorable to their purpose. In imagination
he already saw the disastrous