counted upon the settlers following the path, and such they would
assuredly do unless prevented by the advance scouts.

"Captain Bushwick was out on a little scout himself last summer,"
remarked Kenton, who, despite their alarming surroundings, seemed to be
in somewhat of a reminiscent mood, "when, on his way back, he started
through that holler. The fust thing he did was to step into a rattler,
which burried his fangs in his leggins, just missing his skin. Afore the
sarpent could strike again, the captain made a sweep with his gun bar'l
that knocked off his head. He was a whopper, and the captain pulled out
his knife to cut off his rattles to bring to the block-house, when he
catched the whir of another rattler just behind him, and if he hadn't
jumped powerful lively he would have catched it that time sartin.
Howsumever, the sarpint couldn't reach him, and the captain shot the
mate, and brought the music box of each home with him."

"It was Captain Bushwick who gave the name Rattlesnake Gulch to the
place, I 'spose," was the inquiring remark of Boone.

"Yes, he seemed to think that name was not only purty, but desarving,
though I've been through the holler a good many times and never seed a
sarpent."

"I have."

"When was that?"

"Less than two weeks ago, I was just entering from the other side when I
caught sight of a buck that was on his way to the lick. He would have
seed me if he hadn't seed just then something else in the path in front
of him that interested him more. It was a rattler as big as them of the
captain's. The buck was a fool, for instead of backing out, as you know
animals are quick to do at sight of a rattler, he began to snuff and
cavort about the snake, and finally brought his front hoofs down on it.
Of course, he cut the serpent all to ribbons, but afore he done it the
buck was stung once or twice, and inside of half an hour he jined the
rattler he had sent on afore. Rattlers are as bad as Injins!" muttered
Boone, with an expression of disgust.

"They may be in some partic'lars, but in some they ain't, Dan'l; f'r
instance, they don't caw like a crow, and don't try to ambuscade folks,
and they give you warning afore they strike, which is more than the
two-legged varmints do."

"Talk about the rattler giving warning afore he strikes," repeated
Boone, who had a poor opinion of the genus crotalus, "he'd be a much
more decent sarpint if he didn't strike at all. The black snake doesn't
sting yo