rring experience in the cabin of Mr. Ashbridge,
whither he had gone in total disregard of the instructions of Simon
Kenton, he awoke to the fact that it would not do for him to tarry
longer so far from his friends and exposed to so much personal danger.
He must leave without further delay.

The proof received of the presence of one or more Shawanoes on the
outside was too alarming for him to feel any of his old-time assurance
in venturing across the clearing to the shelter of the surrounding
forest. It will be remembered that he suddenly formed the decision to
incase himself in armor, so to speak, by using one of the several boxes
that had been brought down the river on the flatboat.

Filled with the scheme, he made ready for the extraordinary experiment.
His plan was to invert one of the boxes over his head, and thus
protected, stride across the open space to the woods; but second thought
and considerable experimenting revealed difficulties which speedily
became mountainous in their nature.

"Dat will be all right," he muttered, after he had emptied the box which
had contained the food and some other articles; "but it's gwine to be a
mighty bother to take dis ting and my gun too. Den as long as I keep it
ober my head I won't be able to see where I'm gwine; I may keep walkin'
round in a circle for two, free days, and fotch up ag'in de doah ob dis
house ebery time. I'll hab to make a peep-hole in front."

To do this required work, but the pine wood was soft and his knife was
sharp. Vigorous use of the implement soon opened a hole two or three
inches in diameter, through which he could obtain a good view of his
immediate surroundings.

"Dat will work," he muttered, with some satisfaction, as he felt of the
opening, and found he could pass his hand through it; "it's a little
bigger dan I meant to make it, but if I see one ob de heathen p'intin'
his gun toward me I can slip my head to one side. I'll try it."

He lifted the receptacle over his head and shoulders, and found it
fitted to a nicety. It could not have answered better had it been
constructed for the express purpose of serving him as a shield.

He cautiously peeped through the windows, and discovering nothing to
cause misgiving, drew back the door sufficiently to allow him to pass
through with his turtle-like protection. Then he stepped forth upon the
partially moonlit clearing, and, with considerable labor, inched along
until perhaps a dozen feet distant fr