reat scout arrived safely at the fort.

Throughout the remainder of the day many of the men who had so
confidently gone forth in the morning came straggling back to the fort.

Peleg, who had been among those who rushed to the ford, returned to
Bryant's Station when it was nearly dusk. He had secured the aid of two
others, and the three were carrying young Daniel Boone, who also had
been shot in the fight at the Licks.

It was soon discovered that Boone's younger son was not seriously
wounded. When the welcome information was received the face of the great
scout remained unchanged in its expression, though the deathly pallor,
that for a moment had spread over it when he had been informed of what
had befallen his boy, disappeared.

"'Tis a wonder," said Peleg, "that any of us are left alive to tell the
story. Some of us ran up the stream and swam across. Young Dan was as
brave as any man in the crowd. Even after he had been shot in the
shoulder he did not give up, but he swam across the stream, keeping up
with the rest of us. The men who could not swim were the ones that were
shot down or were made prisoners without being able to do anything to
defend themselves."

"Were any shot after you had crossed the river?" inquired Boone.

"I do not know of any," replied Peleg. "But from the ravine clear down
to the ford the loss was heavy. One of the bravest deeds I ever saw in
my life was that of young Aaron Reynolds--he is the one who made us
laugh when Simon Girty mounted the stump and gave us his speech.
Reynolds was on horseback, and about halfway between the battle ground
and the ford he found Captain Patterson completely worn out. The captain
had dropped in his tracks, he was so exhausted, for you see he had been
wounded three or four times in the fights we had with the Indians two or
three years ago."

"I remember that he was," said Boone.

"The Indians were almost ready to close up on the captain, but just at
that moment Reynolds saw what was going on. He jumped from his saddle,
helped Captain Patterson to mount, and then turned and ran on foot as
fast as he could go. He ran like a deer after he was out of the main
road, then jumped into the river right where you said you crossed, and
swam to the other side. There he had some serious trouble, though. He
was wearing a pair of buckskin breeches and they became so heavy and
full of water when he was in the river that he could not run very fast
when he struck the sho