'low he was to stay hid while 'nother 'scaped prisoner rode down into some
settlement."

From that speech on I do not remember that he spoke of his sister as being
any kin of his. When he must mention her he usually styled her, "That
woman who's turned red."

To get his thoughts away from her I rattled on about my trip to Richfield
and told of my experiences in returning over the mountains. After I had
narrated Hughes' quick action in saving me from an assassin's bullet
Cousin jerked up his head and said:

"Moccasin, one you give to that there young woman we're now followin'?"

I nodded, and he continued:

"I 'low it was John Ward who tried to pot you. He stole the moccasin and
sneaked back an' laid the trap. Prob'ly laid it for whoever come along
without knowin' who would walk into it. You was mighty lucky to have
Hughes there." I had never connected Ward with that attempt on my life.

"The Dales believe Ward to be what he pretends--an escaped prisoner," I
said.

"Course they do," sighed the boy. "The country's full of fools. After he's
led 'em to the stake an' they begin to roast they'll wake up an' reckon
that there's something wrong with his white blood."

His matter-of-fact way of expressing it made my blood congeal. It was
unthinkable to imagine Patsy Dale in the hands of the Indians. I urged my
horse to a sharper clip, but Cousin warned me:

"No use hurryin'. Save your nag for the time when you'll need him mighty
bad. I 'low we can overtake 'em afore anything happens."

We had discovered no fresh Indian-signs. Black Hoof and his braves were
far north of us. We knew scouts were ranging up the Clinch and Holston,
and that the people were forting from Fort Chiswell to the head of the
Holston, and that practically all the settlers had left Rich Valley
between Walker's Mountain and the north fork of the Holston.

Nearly all the settlers had come off the heads of Sandy and Walker's
Creeks and were building forts at David Doack's mill on the Clinch and on
the head waters of the middle fork of the Holston, as well as at Gasper
Kinder's place in Poor Valley.

Cornstalk must know the time was near when the whites would send an army
against the Shawnee towns north of the Ohio, and he was too cunning a
warrior to risk sending many of his men into southwestern Virginia. Black
Hoof was there with a large force, but he could not tarry without leaving
the Scioto towns uncovered.

Therefore my opinion coincided wit