gly, in 1769, accompanied by Findley and four others,
he commenced his journey. Kentucky was found to be all that the first
adventurer had represented, and the hunters had fine sport. The country
was uninhabited, but, during certain seasons, parties of the northern and
southern Indians visited it upon hunting expeditions. These parties
frequently engaged in fierce conflicts, and hence the beautiful region was
known as the "dark and bloody ground."

[Illustration: BATTLE OF BLUE LICKS.]

On the 22d of December, 1769, Boone and one of his companions, named John
Stuart, left their encampment on the Red river, and boldly followed a
buffalo path far into the forest. While roving carelessly from canebrake
to canebrake, they were suddenly alarmed by the appearance of a party of
Indians, who, springing from their place of concealment, rushed upon them
with a swiftness which rendered escape impossible. The hunters were
seized, disarmed, and made prisoners. Under these terrible circumstances,
Boone's presence of mind was admirable. He saw that there was no chance of
immediate escape; but he encouraged his companion and constrained himself
to follow the Indians in all their movements, with so constrained an air,
that their vigilance began to relax.

[Illustration: DANIEL BOONE.]

On the seventh evening of the captivity of the hunter, the party encamped
in a thick cane-break, and having built a large fire lay down to rest.
About midnight, Boone, who had not closed his eyes, ascertained from the
deep breathing of all around him, that the whole party, including Stuart,
was in a deep sleep. Gently extricating himself from the savages who lay
around him, he awoke Stuart, informed him of his determination to escape,
and exhorted him to follow without noise. Stuart obeyed with quickness and
silence. Rapidly moving through the forest, guided by the light of the
stars and the barks of the trees, the hunters reached their former camp
the next day, but found it plundered and deserted, with nothing remaining
to show the fate of their companions. Soon afterwards, Stuart was shot and
scalped, and Boone and his brother who had come into the wilderness from
North Carolina, were left alone in the forest. Nay, for several months,
Daniel had not a single companion, for his brother returned to North
Carolina for ammunition. The hardy hunter was exposed to the greatest
dangers, but he contrived to escape them all. In 1771, Boone and his
brother ret