wer o' harm
an' I know that evil sperrit is you. Ef it wuzn't fur them cannon on
which they build such big hopes the chiefs would take all their warriors
and go home. But the white men are urgin' 'em on. Henry, you're shorely
the king o' these woods. How'd you stir 'em up so?"

Henry modestly told him all that he had done, and the shiftless one
chuckled again and again, as proud of his comrade's deeds as if he had
done them himself.

"But the Indians will march against Kentucky?" said Henry. "You don't
doubt that, do you?"

"Yes, they'll go. Hevin' brought the cannon so fur they won't turn back,
but mebbe we kin hold 'em a while longer. There are tricks an' tricks,
an' we kin work some o' 'em."

"And it's our object to stop those cannon. Unless they have 'em we can
beat the Indians off as we did last year, even if they are led by the
English."

"So we kin, Henry, an' we'll git them guns yet. Scoutin' 'roun' thar
camp I learned enough to know that you've broke up thar plan o' tryin'
to carry 'em part o' the way by the river. You must hev done mighty
slick work thar, Henry. The warriors are plum' shore now that river is
ha'nted. It's all the way through the woods now fur them cannon, an' the
English will hev to use the axes most o' the time."

"Then we'll be going back as fast as we can. I want to tell you again,
Sol, that your face was mighty welcome."

"I ain't no beauty," grinned the shiftless one, "but them that's
bringin' help do be welcome when they come. That's the reason you looked
so pow'ful well to me, Henry, 'cause I wuz gettin' mighty lonesome,
prowlin' 'roun' in these woods all by myself, an' no comp'ny to call,
'cept them that would roast me alive when they'd j'in me."

"The cliff is straight north, isn't it?"

"Jest about. But thar's an Injun band in the way. They're jerkin' a lot
o' venison fur the main camp, but bein' ez you've stirred 'em up so
they're keepin' a mighty good watch too. You know we don't want no
fights, we jest want to travel on ez peaceful ez runnin' water."

"That's so, Sol, but it means a much farther curve to the west."

"Then we've got to take it. It ain't hard for you an' me. We've got
steel wire for muscles in our legs, and the night is clear, cool an'
life-givin'. Paul hez talked 'bout parks in the Old World, but we've got
here a bigger an' finer park than any in Europe or Asyer, or fur that
matter than Afriker or that new continent, Australyer. An' thar ain't
any oth