in action, they
were slothful and careless when not on the war path, or busy with the
chase. He saw, also, that the band was entirely too strong to be attacked
by Henry and his friends.

They marched northward several days more, at the same dawdling pace, and
then they stopped a week at one place for the hunting. Half the warriors
would go into the forest, and the next day the other half would go, the
first remaining. They brought in an abundance of game, and Paul never
before saw men eat as they ate. It seemed to him that they must be trying
to atone for a fast of at least six months, and those who were not hunting
that day would lie around the fire for hours like animals digesting their
food. He and Braxton Wyatt were still treated well, and their hands
remained unbound, although they were never allowed to leave the group of
warriors.

Paul was glad enough of the rest and delay, but the life of the Shawnees
did not please him. He was too fastidious by nature to like their
alternate fits of laziness and energy, their gluttony and lethargy
afterwards, but he took care not to show his repulsion. He acted upon
Wyatt's advice, and behaved in the friendliest manner that he could assume
toward his captors. Wyatt once spoke his approval. "The Chief, Red Eagle,
thinks of adopting you, if you should fall into their ways," said Wyatt.

"He may adopt me, but I'll never adopt him," replied Paul sturdily.

But Wyatt only laughed and shrugged his shoulders, after his fashion.

A few days later they reached the Ohio. It was running bankful, and where
Paul saw it the stream was a mile wide, a magnificent river, cutting off
the unknown south from the unknown north, and bearing on its yellow bosom
silt from lands hundreds of miles away. The warriors took hidden canoes
from the forest at the shore, and Paul thought they would cross at once
and continue their journey northward, but they did not do so. Instead,
they dawdled about in the thick forest that clothed the southern bank, and
ate more venison and buffalo meat, although they did not kindle any fire.
A day or two passed thus amid glorious sunshine, and Paul still could not
understand why they waited.

Meanwhile he still clung tenaciously to his great hope. He might escape,
he might be rescued, and then Henry and he would resume their task which
would help so much to save Kentucky. No matter what happened, Paul would
never lose sight of this end.

CHAPTER VIII

AT THE