e, and was away, to give the
alarm at Van Metre's. He looked back. The Indians were flocking into
the trail, and one was about to scalp Sam. John drew rein, threw his
rifle to his shoulder, the ball sped true. That Indian took no scalp.

John reached Van Metre's. The next day Major Sam McColloch's body was
rescued. The Indians had eaten his heart, to make them as bold, they
said in after years, as he had been.

CHAPTER IV

BIG TURTLE BREAKS THE NET (1778)

AND MEETS HIS FATHER AT BOONESBOROUGH

At the beginning of the year 1778 the settlers of Boonesborough found
themselves again out of salt. Salt is a habit. White people, red
people and all animals get along very well with no salt, until they
have learned the taste of it; and then they will travel almost any
distance to get it. Salt licks are famous places for deer.

The Licking River of northeastern Kentucky was named by reason of the
salty springs along its course. It lay about forty miles northeast
from Boonesborough. Boonesborough itself had been planted only some
sixty yards from a small salt lick, but this proved not enough. So on
January 8 Daniel Boone led thirty men and several horses packed with
large "boiling pans," to the Lower Blue Licks of the Licking River.

The process of making salt here was slow. Eight hundred and forty
gallons of the water needs must be boiled down, to obtain one bushel of
salt. But there was no great hurry. It was the winter season, when
the Indians usually stayed home.

Two or three of the men hunted for meat, while the others made salt.
They all lived well; game was plenty in the neighborhood of licks. A
month had passed. On Saturday, February 7, Daniel Boone was hunting by
himself, with horse and rifle, in a snow-storm. He had killed a
buffalo, tied the best of the meat upon his horse, and was trudging for
camp, when four Indians surprised him.

For a few moments he worked fast, to defend himself, untie the meat,
mount his horse and escape. But the thongs were stiff with the cold.
He, too, was stiff, and his fingers grew numb. He sprang behind a
tree, his rifle ready, but saw himself surrounded.

The four Indians were shielded, likewise. They laughed at his efforts,
and waxed bolder. They had Daniel Boone!

"Come out, Boone," they called. "Come out. No fight, no get hurt.
Many Injuns near."

So he wisely surrendered before he lost his scalp.

It was well that he had done this. The fou