of nothing.

In a little time, the four were once more hunting freely through the
forests. Signs of Indians were to be seen around, however; possibly they
were the very Indians who had captured them. In their wanderings,
therefore, they kept together usually, for self-protection. One day, they
started out upon a buffalo-hunt. As they came upon a herd of these
animals, Stewart lodged his ball in one of them, without bringing him
down. The buffalo went tearing through the forest; and Daniel Boone, with
Stewart, forgetful of everything else, went chasing after him. Naturally
enough, like excited men, they had no idea how far they had travelled,
until their very weariness reminded them that it was time to turn back.
Tired as he was, a harder race was now before Boone. They had scarcely
started on their return, when a party of Indians rushed from the
canebrake, and let fly their arrows. Stewart fell dead on the spot. Boone
would have fired his rifle, but he felt it was useless: he could kill but
one man; his only chance of escape was in flight. With Indian yells and
arrows close behind him, he leaped forward, and, by tremendous exertions,
at last distanced his pursuers. When he reached the camp, he fell,
completely exhausted.

The party, now cut down to three, was in a little time reduced to two.
From some cause or other, they could not tell what--possibly the sad
story of Stewart's death, and the fear of like troubles--the companion
who had come out with Squire Boone determined upon returning to North
Carolina. Very soon, therefore, he left them alone in the wilderness.[2]

[2] It is said by some that this man did not thus leave
them. Their story is, that the three started out upon a
hunt; that this man was separated from the Boones, and
became entangled in a swamp. The Boones searched for him,
but could not find him. Afterward, they found fragments
of his clothes, which convinced them that the poor man
had been torn to pieces by wolves.

Daniel Boone, however, tells a different story. He says
that the man left them, "and returned home by himself;"
and I have preferred his statement to any other.

It is not strange that, being thus deserted, Squire Boone felt restless
and dissatisfied; the wonder is, that Daniel was not dissatisfied
likewise. But he was happy and contented, and often struggled to call up
the same feelings in his brother. "You see," he would often say, "how
little nature