22 The Winning of the West 



as he heard the news, Boone went in pursuit with a 

 party of seven men from the fort, including the three 

 lovers of the captured girls. After following the 

 trail all of one day and the greater part of two 

 nights, the pursuers came up with the savages, and, 

 rushing in, scattered or slew them before they could 

 either make resistance or kill their captives. The 

 rescuing party then returned in triumph to the fort. 

 Thus for two years the pioneers worked in the 

 wilderness, harassed by unending individual war- 

 fare, but not threatened by any formidable attempt 

 to oust them from the lands that they had won. Dur- 

 ing this breathing spell they established civil govern- 

 ment, explored the country, planted crops, and built 

 strongholds. Then came the inevitable struggle. 

 When in 1777 the snows began to melt before the 

 lengthening spring days, the riflemen who guarded 

 the log forts were called on to make head against 

 a series of resolute efforts to drive them from Ken- 

 tucky. 



he followed the tangled trail like a bloodhound, and early 

 the following morning came on the Indians, camped by a 

 buffalo calf which they had just killed and were about to 

 cook. The rescue was managed very adroitly ; for had any 

 warning been given the Indians would have instantly killed 

 their captives, according to their invariable custom. Boone 

 and Floyd each shot one of the savages, and the remaining 

 three escaped almost naked, without gun, tomahawk, or 

 scalping-knife. The girls were unharmed; for the Indians 

 rarely molested their captives on the journey to the home 

 towns, unless their strength gave out, when they were toma- 

 hawked without mercy. 



