hair cut an' no charge."

A bullet had clipped a gray lock from the top of the schoolmaster's
head, but flattening himself on the bottom of the boat he did not give
the Indians a second shot. Meanwhile Henry and the others were sending
bullets into the crews of the boats behind them. They did not get a
chance at Girty and Wyatt, who were evidently concealing themselves from
these foes, whom they knew to be such deadly sharpshooters, but they
were making havoc among the warriors. It was a fire so deadly that all
the canoes stopped and let the boat pass out of range. The little band
sent back their own shout, taunting and triumphant, and then, laying
aside their rifles, they took up the oars again. They sped forward and
as the night darkened the Indian canoes sank quickly out of sight.

"I think we'll have the right of way now to the Falls," said Henry.

CHAPTER XVII

THE ROAD TO WAREVILLE

Henry made no mistake when he predicted that they would have the right
of way to the Falls. Days passed and the broad river bore them
peacefully onward, the wind blowing into ripples its yellow surface
which the sunshine turned into deep gold. The woods still formed a solid
bank of dark green on either shore, and they knew that warriors might be
lurking in them, but they kept to the middle of the current, and the
Ohio was so wide that they were fairly safe from sharpshooters. In
addition to the caution, habitual to borderers, they usually kept pretty
well sheltered behind the stout sides of their boat.

"Tain't no use takin' foolish risks," said Shif'less Sol wisely. "A
bullet that you ain't lookin' fur will hurt jest ez bad ez one that
you're expectin', an' the surprise gives a lot o' pain, too."

Hence they always anchored at night, far out in the water, put out all
lights, and never failed to keep watch. Several times they detected
signs of their wary enemy. Once they saw flames twinkling on the
northern shore, and twice they heard signal cries in the southern woods.
But the warriors did not make any nearer demonstration, and they went
on, content to leave alone when they were left alone.

All were eager to see the new settlement at the Falls, of which reports
had come to them through the woods, and they were particularly anxious
to find it a tower of strength against the fresh Indian invasion. Their
news concerning it was not yet definite, but they heard that the first
blockhouse was built on an island. Hence every