These pioneers
were far away in the wilderness, four hundred miles beyond any
settlement of the whites. They were surrounded by thousands of Indian
warriors, and still they felt somewhat secure, as a treaty of peace had
been made by the Governor of Virginia with the neighboring chiefs. But,
notwithstanding this treaty, many of the more intelligent of the Indians
foresaw the inevitable destruction of their hunting grounds, should the
white men succeed in establishing themselves on their lands, and cutting
them up into farms.

A friendly Indian had informed Governor Dunmore that a very formidable
conspiracy had been organised by the tribes for the destruction of the
party encamped at the Falls of the Ohio, and for the extermination of
every other party of whites who should penetrate their hunting grounds.
It was in accordance with this conspiracy that Daniel Boone's party was
so fiercely assailed when near the Gap, in the Cumberland mountains; and
it was probably the knowledge of this conspiracy, thus practically
developed, which led the husbands and fathers to abandon their
enterprise of plunging into the wilderness of Kentucky.

There were about forty men all numbered, in the little band of surveyors
at the Falls. They were in terrible peril. Unconscious of danger, and
supposing the Indians to be friendly, they were liable to be attacked on
any day by overwhelming numbers of savages, and utterly exterminated. It
consequently became a matter of great moment that Governor Dunmore
should send them word of their danger, and if possible secure their safe
return to the settlements. But who would undertake such a mission? One
fraught with greater danger could not easily be imagined. The courier
must traverse on foot a distance of four or five hundred miles through a
pathless wilderness, filled with hunting bands of hostile savages. He
must live upon the game he could shoot each day, when every discharge of
his musket was liable to bring upon him scores of foes. He must either
eat his food raw, or cook it at a fire whose gleam at night, or smoke by
day, would be almost sure to attract the attention of death-dealing
enemies. He must conceal his footprints from hunting bands, wandering
far and wide in every direction, so keen in their sagacity that they
could almost follow the track of the lightest-footed animal through the
forest or over the prairie.

The Indians had also well-trained dogs, who being once put upon the
scent,