e to clean us all out. Of course, I
knowed what was up, but The Panther made a powerful big mistake. He got
mixed up with that darkey you seed--his name is Jethro Juggens--and you
may shoot me if the darkey didn't throw him down and hold him fast till
we made him prisoner."

Boone had heard something of this extraordinary exploit, but he looked
questioningly at Kenton, as though he could hardly credit the fact.

"It's all as true as Gospel. We kept Wa-on-mon, which the same is The
Panther, till late that night, when Mr. Ashbridge and Altman and me went
over in a canoe to the other flatboat, which the Shawanoes had cleaned
out, to even up accounts with 'em. Sime Girty was with 'em, but they
left afore we got to the craft, and we sot it afire and come back."

"I seed the light last night, but didn't know what it was."

"While we was gone, Mr. Altman's darter, Agnes (she ain't much more than
a child), felt so sorry for The Panther, thinking, too, that I meant to
shove him under, that she cut the cords that bound him--"

"What a fool of a gal!"

"Dan'l," sternly interrupted Kenton, laying his hand on the arm of his
friend, "you mustn't speak that way of Tom Altman's child. There ain't a
finer, smarter, purtier, sweeter gal in all Ohio or Kaintuck than little
Agnes Altman. She made a powerful big mistake, but she done it in the
kindness of her heart, and, Dan'l, you and me knows there ain't many
such mistakes made. But that little gal showed her pluck when she
follered up Wa-on-mon, snatched the knife from his hand when he warn't
looking, and warned young Ashbridge in time to save him. Wal, The
Panther made a rush to jump overboard, but he happened to step onto that
darkey again, so he was nabbed."

"But what's become of The Panther?" asked Boone, hoping to hear that the
career of this terrible scourge of the border was ended.

Kenton rested his long, formidable flintlock rifle on the log at his
side, clasped his thin iron fingers over one knee, the foot of which was
raised from the ground, and looked thoughtfully among the trees in
front. His coonskin cap was shoved back from his forehead, and a frown
settled on it, and his thin lips were compressed for a few moments
before he spoke.

"Dan'l, things haven't turned out altogether to suit me. As you know,
the flatboat kept on down the river till it reached the clearing this
morning. Afore we went ashore, I diskivered that Girty and several
varmints was in the cabin.