Jerome. Joy in living and satisfaction with
himself and all mankind were written in every line of his face. It was
eight o'clock of a Monday morning. Two hours earlier the long journey
toward the unknown Northwest had begun.

"Why, ye'r in a terrible hurry, youngsters! Thought I'd never ketch ye!"

It was Captain Bowen who called out, driving his spirited team alongside
of the emigrant wagon as he did so.

"After ye'd gone, it come to me all of a sudden that ye'd stand a chance
of meetin' an old friend of mine. He is an Iroquois Injun of the Mohawk
tribe an' his name is High Horse. General Putnam gave him this knife fer
doin' some thin' or other one time, an' High Horse gave it to me 'cause I
shared powder an' bullets with him when he was out, an' durin' the war at
that. Seems t' me naow, tew, that I pulled him through some sick spell or
somethin'. Any haow he give me the knife. If ye see him tell him ye know
me. I heerd that he was livin' up some crick emptyin' into the Ohio."

Almost before the boys could thank the Captain he had turned and was
gone, having thrown a long-bladed knife with a curiously carved ivory
handle--a relic of some Dutch trader perhaps--to Ree.

"I say! Maybe ye didn't hear as haow Jim Huson was able to git about
t'day! Ye'll be hungry enough fer news I was thinkin', before ye air back
agin!"

John waved his old cap and Ree shouted their thanks again, but if Captain
Bowen heard he gave no heed; at least he did not look back.

At noon a halt was made at the roadside, close to a running brook, while
the horse was fed and watered and the boys ate their lunch. They would
not have exchanged places with a prince, now that they felt themselves
fairly launched upon their long-talked-of enterprise. Their hopes were
unblemished by any unhappy circumstance and the fine weather was as a
tonic to their already lively spirits. They carefully examined their
goods and wagon to see that all was in proper order before starting on,
resolving to be attentive to every detail and let no mishap come to them
through carelessness. On the road, too, they exercised care, remembering
that a steady gait and not too fast, was necessary. And so the first day
of their journey was passed most pleasantly.

For the novelty of it the boys camped out the first night, beneath a
clump of beech trees, and no two young men ever more fully enjoyed a
campfire's cheerful blaze.

Another and another day passed. It was in the aftern