ushing back
and forward upon one another in all directions. A panther had seated
himself upon the back of one of the largest buffaloes, and fastened his
claws and teeth into the flesh of the animal, wherever he could reach
it, until the blood ran down on all sides. The movements of a powerful
animal, under such suffering, may be imagined. But plunging, rearing,
and running were to no purpose. The panther retained its seat, and
continued its horrid work. The buffalo, in its agony, sought relief in
the midst of its companions, but instead of obtaining it, communicated
its fury to the drove.

The travellers did not care to approach the buffaloes too closely; but
Boone, picking the flint of his rifle, and looking carefully at the
loading, took aim at the panther, determined to displace the monster
from its seat. It happened, that the buffalo continued a moment in a
position to allow the discharge to take effect. The panther released its
hold, and came to the ground. As generally happens in such cases, this
herd was followed by a band of wolves. They prowl around for the remains
usually found in the train of such numbers of animals. Another rifle was
discharged among them, for the sport of seeing them scatter through the
woods.

[Illustration]

The brothers left such traces--or blazes as they are technically
called--of their course, as they thought would enable them to find it
again, until they reached the foot of the mountains. They tried various
ascents, and finally discovered a route, which, with some labor might be
rendered tolerably easy. They proposed to cross the families here, and
blazed the path in a way that could not be mistaken. This important
point settled, they hastened to the settlement, which they reached
without accident.

CHAPTER VI.

Boone starts with his family to Kentucky--Their return to Clinch
river--He conducts a party of surveyors to the Falls of Ohio--He helps
build Boonesborough, and removes his family to the fort--His daughter
and two of Col. Calloway's daughters taken prisoners by the
Indians--They pursue the Indians and rescue the captives.

The next step was to collect a sufficient number of emigrants who would
be willing to remove to the new country with the families of the Boones,
to give the settlements security and strength to resist the attacks of
the Indians. This was not an easy task. It may be readily imagined that
the Boones saw only the bright side of the contemplated