s were quick to notice that Boone and the missionary spoke as
if there were little, if any, doubt in their minds that this course
would be followed.

"Suppose," said Mr. Ashbridge, in a tremulous voice, "she is not spared
to be taken into camp?"

"We are all in the hands of our Heavenly Father," reverently replied the
good man, "He doeth all things well, and we must accept His will with
resignation. If the little one has not been spared, then it is already
too late for us to give her aid; if she has escaped death, then I
believe she is in the camp of the Shawanoes."

"And we can steal up and charge upon them," said the brother, to whom
the inaction was becoming intolerable.

"Such a proceeding would insure her instant death," said Mr. Finley.

"And why? Boone can guide us to the direct spot, so there will be no
mistake about that, and a quick rally and charge will decide it."

"You forget, George," responded the missionary, in his fatherly way,
"that though The Panther has established his camp on the other side of
the gulch, all his warriors are not there; some of them are watching us,
as best they can, from the shore; by the time we turned about, and long
before we could reach land, it would be known to The Panther, or the
ambuscade he formed hours ago would be made as effective as though you
had all pressed on without halt."

"Boone said a few minutes ago that if we had daylight instead of
darkness to help us, there would be hope."

"And he is wise, as he always is, for we should have put back at once;
and doing so, immediately on the heels of our flight, the Shawanoes
would not have been given time to prepare a surprise for us; it is too
late now, and the circumstances prevent any attempt of that nature."

"Then we can do nothing at all--nothing except to wait until Kenton
makes his report," remarked the father, despairingly.

Instead of replying, the missionary turned to Boone, at his elbow, and
whispered something. The pioneer answered in the same guarded manner,
and the conversation, inaudible to others, continued for some minutes.

Meanwhile two of the rangers kept toiling at the sweeps, so gently that
it did not interfere with what was said and done by the others, and the
craft slowly approached the Ohio shore.

Starting up, the missionary looked around and inquired:

"What has become of the canoe Jethro and I brought with us?"

"It floated free during the fight," replied one of the rangers, "and