bullets struck near, and they were soon hidden among the trees and
thickets. But they were too wise to stop merely because they were out of
sight. They continued at good speed for a long time on the return
journey to Clark.

Henry's comrades asked him no questions, knowing that when they stopped
he would tell them everything, unasked. But they saw that he was in an
excellent humor, and so they inferred that he brought valuable
information from Chillicothe.

"I call it luck," said Shif'less Sol, "that when you have to run for
your life you can at the same time run the way you want to go."

"Yes, it's our lucky night," said Henry.

Stopping occasionally to listen for pursuit, they ran about four hours,
and then took a long rest by the side of a cool little brook from which
they drank deeply. Then Henry told what he had heard.

"It's not their intention to fight at Chillicothe," he said.
"Timmendiquas, of course, wanted to make a stand, but Girty and the
older chiefs prevented him and decided on Piqua. It's likely, I think,
that the authority of White Lightning has been weakened by their defeat
at the mouth of the Licking."

Then he related every word that he had been able to catch.

"This is mighty important," said Paul, "and Colonel Clark will surely be
glad to hear your news."

After a rest of one hour they pushed on at great speed and they did not
stop the next day until they saw Colonel Clark's vanguard. Clark himself
was at the front and with him were Boone, Kenton and Thomas. The face of
the Colonel became eager when he saw the five emerge from the
undergrowth.

"Anything to tell?" he asked briefly.

When Henry related what he had heard from the window of the corncrib,
the Colonel uttered short but earnest words of thanks, and put his hand
upon the lad's shoulder.

"Once more we are in great debt to you, young sir," he said. "You
brought our forces together at the Licking, and now you guide our main
campaign. This news that the savages will not defend Chillicothe will
give our men great encouragement. Already they will see the enemy
fleeing before them."

Colonel Clark was a good prophet. The men cheered when they heard that
the Indian force was likely to abandon Chillicothe and they were anxious
to press forward at increased speed, but the leader would not permit,
nor would he allow them to disarrange their marching order in the
slightest. He had never been defeated by the Indians, because he had
ne