g in more than one respect.

Thus he knew that the pioneers had started up the Kentucky side of the
river for Capt. Bushwick's block-house, and, before going far, had come
to a halt, while Kenton returned to the clearing in quest of the canoe
that had been left there beside the flatboat. His natural object, it
would seem, in taking this course, was to secure the smaller craft for
use in transporting the women and children to the other side of the
Ohio. Why he should have taken Jethro Juggens as a companion could not
be conjectured.

Another self-evident fact caused the missionary less misgiving than
would be supposed. Kenton had captured the canoe, for he and it were
gone when the youth boarded the flatboat. Furthermore, the craft in
which the visitor paddled out to the flatboat was the very one, as
identified by Jethro, which, in some way, had been recaptured from the
ranger. The presence of the warrior in the boat seemed to point with
absolute certainty to the conclusion that the Shawanoe had slain the
great pioneer before wresting the property from him.

But Mr. Finley did not accept that theory, and was willing to await an
explanation in the near future.

An inexpressibly greater and more distressing problem lay beyond that,
as to the ultimate fate of the two families turned back, as may be said,
on the threshold of success. The action of Kenton and Boone told their
anxiety to place them on the same side of the Ohio with the block-house,
and it indicated with equal certainty the appearance of some frightful
danger in their front.

That danger must be The Panther and his war party. Thus, it will be
perceived, that by a course of rapid reasoning the missionary was
approaching a correct idea of the situation.

He knew nothing of Rattlesnake Gulch, for the pioneer circuit preachers
of the west had to traverse too many vast areas of wilderness to become
minutely familiar with every portion; but the checking of the fugitives,
or the turning back of their real leader, could mean but one thing; they
had discovered the presence of The Panther and his Shawanoes in their
path.

All and considerably more than the foregoing being conceded, the
missionary could not but regard the turning over to him of the
invaluable canoe, to say nothing of the flatboat itself, as
providential. There was now abundant means to carry the imperiled ones
to the other shore.

But missionary Finley was too familiar with the people of the Wes