oin his father the following spring.

Angus was a frequent visitor at the Allison home. He was generous,
impulsive and rough, and had not many home advantages, but his
friendship for Rodney never wavered. Like all the boys, he disliked
Denham, who was a fat little man with a greasy smile and eyes like a
pig's. He was said to be a miser, and a cheat, and a coward, which, in
the eyes of the boys, was an unforgivable weakness.

One night Rodney and Angus had been over to a quilting party at the
Dawsons', or rather to the frolic which followed the quilting. There
had been dancing to such music as the squeaky fiddle of Ander Byram
could afford, also refreshments, in which a big ham and a roast of
venison were two prominent features. The boys left early, Rodney
because he had to rise by five o'clock the next morning, and Angus
because he had quarrelled with Betty Saunders. They came out into the
crisp December air singing, "Polly put the kettle on, we'll all take
tea."

Rodney, being in a confidential mood, told his companion of his plans
for joining his father in the spring, and then said: "Angus, I should
feel a lot better about leaving mother if I knew there was some one
like you to help her out of any trouble that might come up. She might
be sick, you know, and old Denham might try to cheat her in some
way."

"I'll shake hands on that, Rod. Don't you worry. Jimminy Jewsharp! but
I wish I was goin' too."

CHAPTER V

A PLUNGE INTO THE FOREST

March fifteenth, 1773, Rodney Allison set out with a party of five men
who were leaving to join Clark's party on the Ohio.

The task would be somewhat like finding the needle in the haystack,
perhaps, but all were confident and went away in high spirits.

Mrs. Allison smiled bravely and Naomi called after him, "You bring
back a little bear for me to play with," whereat they all laughed, but
the laughter was very near tears. Indeed Mam threw her apron over her
head and fled to the cook-house.

"You don't want ter look so blue, Rod," cried Angus, coming into the
yard. "I only wish I was goin' along. Alec Stephens' father says
thar's prairies out thar where buffalo hev wallered great traces
through the grass, thet's higher'n yer head, an' the deer an' elk are
thicker'n skeeters in the swamp. He 'lows as how them as gits the land
will sure beat the tide-water gentry on ther home stretch."

Thus encouraged the boy turned his face westward. There were two pack
horses i