ment of the western
country. Some years before, a company of men headed by Richard
Henderson, had conceived the grandiose project of founding in the west a
great colony, and had purchased from the Cherokee Indians a vast tract
of land, which they named Transylvania. It included all the land between
the Cumberland and Kentucky rivers, and Daniel Boone was selected to
blaze a way into the wilderness, to mark out a road, and start the first
settlement. He got a party together, crossed the mountains, and on April
1, 1775, began to build a fort on the left bank of the Kentucky river,
calling it Fort Boone, afterwards Boonesborough. Some settlers moved in,
but the outbreak of the Revolution and the consequent renewal of Indian
hostilities under encouragement from the British put a stop to
immigration.

The fort, alone and unprotected in the wilderness, was soon attacked by
a great war-party, but managed to beat off the assailants. Shortly
afterwards, while leading an expedition to the Blue Licks, on the
Licking river, to secure a supply of salt, Boone became separated from
his men, and was surprised and captured by an Indian war-party. The joy
of the savages at this capture may be imagined, for they had in their
hands their most intrepid foe. After being exhibited to the British at
Detroit, he was brought back to the Indian settlements north of the
Ohio, and formally adopted into an Indian family, for the savages
desired, if possible, to make this mighty hunter and warrior one of
themselves. And Boone might have really adopted Indian life, which
appealed to him in many ways, but one day he found that preparations
were on foot for another great expedition against Boonesborough.
Watching his opportunity, he managed to escape, and reached the fort in
time to warn it of the impending attack. He covered the distance, 160
miles, in four days, eating but a single meal upon the road--a turkey
which he managed to shoot.

He came to Boonesborough like one risen from the dead. The fort was at
once put into a state of defense, and endured the most savage assault
ever directed against it, the Indians numbering nearly five hundred,
while the garrison mustered but sixty-five. The siege lasted for nine
days, when the Indians, despairing of overcoming a resistance so
desperate, retired.

The succeeding years were full of adventure and hair-breadth escapes,
which cannot even be mentioned here. On one occasion, Boone and his
brother, Squire