ed no more
monition to keep them together, and always on their guard. But,
forgetful of the fate of Stewart, the partner of the elder Boone, who
had recently arrived, allowed himself to be beguiled away from the two
Boone's, as they were hunting together. The object of his curiosity was
of little importance. In pursuit of it, he wandered into a swamp, and
was lost. The two brothers sought him, long and painfully, to no
purpose. Discouraged, and perhaps exasperated in view of his careless
imprudence, they finally concluded he had chosen that method of
deserting them, and had set out on his return to North Carolina. Under
such impressions, they relinquished the search, and returned to camp.
They had reason afterwards to repent their harsh estimate of his
intentions. Fragments of his clothes, and traces of blood were found on
the opposite side of the swamp. A numerous pack of wolves had been heard
to howl in that direction the evening on which he had been lost.
Circumstances placed it beyond a doubt, that, while wandering about in
search of his companions, these terrible animals had come upon him and
torn him in pieces. He was never heard of afterwards.

The brothers were thus left alone in this wide wilderness, the only
white men west of the mountains; as they concluded the remainder of the
original party had returned to North Carolina. But they were neither
desponding nor indolent. They held pleasant communion together--hunted
by day, cooked their game, sat by their bright fires, and sung the airs
of their country by night, as though in the midst of the gayest society.
They devoted, beside, much of their time and labor to preparing a
comfortable cabin to shelter them during the approaching winter.

They were in want of many things. Clothing and moccasins they might
supply. With bread, sugar, and salt, though articles of the first
necessity, they could dispense. But ammunition, an article absolutely
indispensable, was failing them. They concluded, too, that horses would
be of essential service to them. They finally came to the resolution
that the elder Boone should return to North Carolina, and come out to
the new country with ammunition, horses, and supplies.

The character of Daniel Boone, in consenting to be left alone in that
wilderness, surrounded by perils from the Indians and wild beasts, of
which he had so recently and terribly been made aware, appears in its
true light. We have heard of a Robinson Crusoe made s