of ashes and dead coals were everywhere. The fires
that were soon lighted served the double purpose of cooking and of
making cheer. But while they ate, the skies grew perceptibly darker. No
ray of the sun broke anywhere through the steel-colored atmosphere.

Colonel Clark became anxious. He had intended to start early for Piqua,
but storms in the woods must be reckoned with, as one reckons with an
enemy. He delayed and sent forward a scouting party of fifteen men under
Boone, who, of course, included the five in the fifteen. Boone, owing to
his captivity among the Indians, knew something about the country, and
he led them straight toward Piqua. As Piqua and Chillicothe, two large
Indian towns, were only twelve miles apart, there was an Indian road or
broad trail between them, and they followed it for some distance.

The road showed the haste with which the inhabitants of Chillicothe had
fled. Here and there were feathers which had fallen from the scalp locks
of the men or the braids of the women. Now they came to a gourd, or a
rude iron skillet bought at a British post.

After four or five miles Boone deemed it wiser to turn into the thick
woods. The Indians with such a formidable force only twelve miles away
would certainly have out sentries and skirmishers, and his cautious
movement was just in time, as less than three hundred yards further on
they were fired upon from the bushes. They replied with a few shots, but
it was not Boone's intention to precipitate a real skirmish. He merely
wished to know if the Indians were on guard, and, in a few minutes, he
drew off his men and retired.

They were followed by derisive yells which said plainly enough that, in
the opinion of the Indians, they were afraid. Some of the younger men
wanted to go back, but Boone remained firm in purpose and tranquil in
mind.

"Let 'em yell at us all they want to," he said in his peculiarly gentle
voice. "We can stand it, and we'll see how they can stand the battle
to-day or to-morrow when the army comes up."

They were back at the camp about two hours after noon, and reported that
the Indians had sentinels and skirmishers on the way to Piqua. But Clark
thought they could be brushed aside, and as the clouds had lightened
somewhat, they started at four o'clock. Good humor was restored at once
to the men. They were moving now and in a few hours they might bring the
campaign to a head, if the Indians only stood. Some believed that they
would