1 88 The Winning of the West 



ly alarmed, and wished to go straight on down the 

 Mississippi; but Floyd swore that he would finish 

 his work unless actually forced off. Three days 

 afterward they reached the Falls. 



Here Floyd spent a fortnight, making surveys in 

 every direction, and then started off to explore the 

 land between the Salt River and the Kentucky. Like 

 the others, he carried his own pack, which consisted 

 of little but his blanket and his instruments. He 

 sometimes had difficulties with his men ; one of them 

 refused to carry the chain one day, and went off to 

 hunt, got lost, and was not found for thirty-six 

 hours. Another time it was noticed that two of the 

 hunters had become sullen, and seemed anxious to 

 leave camp. The following morning, while on the 

 march, the party killed an elk and halted for break- 

 fast; but the two hunters walked on, and, says the 

 journal, "we never saw them more"; but whether 

 they got back to the settlements or perished in the 

 wilderness, none could tell. 



The party suffered much hardship. Floyd fell 

 sick, and for three days could not travel. They 

 gave him an "Indian sweat," probably building just 

 such a little sweat-house as the Indians use to this 

 day. Others of their number at different times fell 

 ill; and they were ever on the watch for Indians. 

 In the vast forests, every sign of a human being was 

 the sign of a probable enemy. Once they heard a 

 gun, and another time a sound as of a man calling 

 to another; and on each occasion they redoubled 

 their caution, keeping guard as they rested, and at 



