reference to their own final settlement in it, and to the introduction
of emigrants from the Atlantic border. Indeed it has been said that
Daniel Boone was the secret agent of a company on the other side of the
mountains, who wished to obtain possession of a large extent of
territory for the formation of a colony there. But of this nothing with
certainty is known. Yet there must have been some strong controlling
motive to have induced these men to remain so long in their camp, which
consisted simply of a shed of logs, on the banks of this solitary
stream.

Three sides of the hut were enclosed. The interstices between the logs
were filled with moss or clay. The roof was also carefully covered with
bark, so as to be impervious to rain. The floor was spread over with dry
leaves and with the fragrant twigs of the hemlock, presenting a very
inviting couch for the repose of weary men. The skins of buffaloes and
of bears presented ample covering for their night's repose. The front of
the hut, facing the south, was entirely open, before which blazed their
camp-fire. Here the men seem to have been very happy. The climate was
mild; they were friendly to each other; they had good health and
abundance of food was found in their camp.

On the twenty-second of December, Boone, with one of his companions,
John Stewart, set out on one of their exploring tours. There were parts
of the country called cane-brakes, covered with cane growing so thickly
together as to be quite impenetrable to the hunter. Through portions of
these the buffaloes had trampled their way in large companies, one
following another, opening paths called _streets_. These streets had
apparently been trodden for ages. Following these paths, Boone and his
companion had advanced several miles from their camp, when suddenly a
large party of Indians sprang from their concealment and seized them
both as captives. The action was so sudden that there was no possibility
of resistance. In the following words Boone describes this event:

"This day John Stewart and I had a pleasing ramble, but fortune changed
the scene in the close of it. We had passed through a great forest, on
which stood myriads of trees, some gay with blossoms, others rich with
fruits. Nature was here a series of wonders and a fund of delight. Here
she displayed her ingenuity and industry in a variety of flowers and
fruits, beautifully colored, elegantly shaped, and charmingly flavored;
and we were diverte