Revolution. As he paused at
last, there was quiet for a minute or two. Then Return Kingdom said:

"We have thought of these things, Captain, and maybe we are head-strong,
but we are bent on going. There is little future for a young man here. I
will soon have no home, and John can well be spared from his. All we can
do, if we do not emigrate and secure homes of our own, is to hire out as
farm hands, and, as you know, labor is not greatly in demand. And as we
have said, we expect to go among the Indians partly as traders. The land
we shall settle upon, we expect to buy from them.

"Traders who have behaved themselves have not had much trouble, and we
hope to make peace with every tribe we fall in with. The truth is,
Captain, we really have more fear of finding ourselves in the woods with
a lot of stuff we do not need, taking up the room in our cart and adding
to our load, while that which we should have will not be within reach,
than we have of trouble with the Indians."

"People say it will be only a few years until all the country about the
Ohio river will be settled," put in John Jerome.

"Y-a-as, land agents say that," smiled Captain Bowen, "but I ain't so
sure on it. Folks kin still find plenty of hardships right here in
Connecticut 'thout pokin' off t' the Ohio Valley or the northwest kentry.
But I tell you what, youngsters," he exclaimed with sudden enthusiasm, "I
wish I was ten years younger, I'd go with ye, bless me if I wouldn't!
They do bring tales of a marvelous kentry from the valley where my ol'
friend General Putnam an' his colony settled!"

From that moment Ree and John had smooth sailing so far as getting advice
and information from Captain Bowen was concerned. Then and there,
however, the Captain had to tell them all he knew about the colony of
brave men who had founded Marietta on the Ohio river, nearly three years
earlier. "An' they do tell that game is thick there as fleas on a
homeless, yaller dog," he said.

Though he knew that his wish that he might accompany the boys could never
be gratified, Captain Bowen entered into the spirit of their plans and
hopes with whole-souled ardor. He took great delight in telling the boys
of his own youth and his adventures. He seemed to grow young again in
their presence. Many times, too, he told them of sixteen-year-old Jervis
Cutler, who, as a member of General Putnam's party, was the first to leap
ashore and the first to cut down a tree in the new country w