a minute or two in deep thought. He was revolving an
important scheme in his mind.

"From de style dat Mr. Kenton moved wid when he luff me, it'll take him
'bout two days to git 'round to where he's gwine to find dat canoe,
consequinchly dar ain't no use ob my being in such a hurry dat I'll
broke my neck. I'll take a look inside dat house to make sure dat
matters am all right."

And without the first hesitation he proceeded to carry out his
extraordinary purpose.

He first approached the rear of the cabin, where, it will be remembered,
were two windows on the lower floor and two on the upper. Each of these
was too narrow to permit any man to force his body through. It was from
one of the lower ones that Simon Girty had displayed the flag of truce,
only to have it whipped off the ramrod and appropriated by the watchful
Jethro, who, after wearing the garment for a time, laid it aside in
order to escape the merriment his appearance caused for the others.

The dusky youth peeped through the opening at the interior, where the
furniture and goods were tumbled about in great confusion. The view was
unsatisfactory, and he passed around to the front, with the intention of
entering by means of the door.

There are unnumbered incidents continually occurring, as they have
occurred in the past, in which luck seems to play a most prominent part.
We doubt whether any other explanation can be made of the extraordinary
series of events in which Jethro Juggens now became involved, and which
were destined to have a momentous bearing upon the fortunes of his
friends, beyond even the calculations of the sagacious Boone and Kenton.

It is probable that had the colored youth presented himself in front of
the door a half-hour sooner, he not only would have been instantly
detected by some of the Shawanoes, but would have been slain. It is
certain that had he delayed his movements for a less time than that
named these consequences would have followed, for the reader has learned
that before the warrior guarding the canoe fell asleep he showed a good
deal of interest in the cabin in the clearing.

But Jethro's action was so timed (without any credit due to himself)
that he escaped both perils, as well as that of being seen by Kenton,
who, it will be remembered, gave considerable attention to the same
quarter. It is hard to imagine what his feelings would have been, had
the scout turned his gaze towards the building at the moment the colored