ursuits of the Indians,
which rendered what was at first assumed, with a little practice, and
the influence of habit, easy and natural. He soon became in semblance so
thoroughly one of them, and was able in all those points of practice
which give them reputation, to conduct himself with so much skill and
adroitness, that he gained the entire confidence of the family into
which he was adopted, and become as dear to his mother of adoption as
her own son.

Trials of Indian strength and skill are among their most common
amusements. Boone was soon challenged to competition in these trials. In
these rencounters of loud laughter and boisterous merriment, where all
that was done seemed to pass into oblivion as fast as it transpired,
Boone had too much tact and keen observation not to perceive that
jealousy, envy, and the origin of hatred often lay hid under the
apparent recklessness of indifference. He was not sorry that some of the
Indians could really beat him in the race, though extremely light of
foot; and that in the game of ball, at which they had been practised all
their lives, he was decidedly inferior. But there was another
sport--that of shooting at a mark--a new custom to the Indians but
recently habituated to the use of fire arms; a practice which they had
learned from the whites, and they were excessively jealous of reputation
of great skill in this exercise, so important in hunting and war. Boone
was challenged to shoot with them at a mark. It placed him in a most
perplexing dilemma. If he shot his best, he could easily and far excel
their most practised marksmen. But he was aware, that to display his
superiority would never be forgiven him. On the other hand, to fall far
short of them in an exercise which had been hitherto peculiar to the
whites, would forfeit their respect. In this predicament, he judiciously
allowed himself sometimes to be beaten; and when it became prudent to
put forth all his skill, a well dissembled humility and carelessness
subdued the mortification and envy of the defeated competitor.

He was often permitted to accompany them in their hunting parties; and
here their habits and his circumstances alike invoked him to do his
best. They applauded his skill and success as a hunter, with no mixture
of envy or ill will. He was particularly fortunate in conciliating the
good will of the Shawnee chief. To attain this result, Boone not only
often presented him with a share of his game, but adopted