The party found
game in abundance, especially great droves of buffalo, and spent some
months in hunting and exploring. A roving war-party stumbled upon one of
Boone's companions, and forthwith killed him; a second soon met the same
fate, and Boone himself had more than one narrow escape. The danger grew
so great, that the other members of the party returned over the
mountains, and Boone was, for a time, left alone, as he himself put it,
"without company of any fellow-creature, or even a horse or dog."
His brother joined him after a time, and the two spent the winter
together. Game furnished abundant food, and the only danger was from the
Indians, but that was an ever-present one. Sometimes they slept in
hollow trees, at other times, they changed their resting-place every
night, and after making a fire, would go off for a mile or two in the
woods to sleep. Unceasing vigilance was the price of safety. When spring
came, Boone's brother returned over the mountains, and again he was left
alone. Three months later the brother came back, bringing a party of
hunters, but no one was inclined to settle in so dangerous a locality,
the struggle to possess which was so fierce that it became known as "the
dark and bloody ground."
In 1773, Boone himself started to lead a band of settlers over the
mountains, but while passing through the frowning defiles of the
Cumberland Gap, they were attacked by Indians and driven back, two of
Boone's sons being among the slain.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227