the Paradise that Big Black Burl loved
more than scalps and glory, it was his little master, Bushie--or, as the
name had been written down in the Good Book, some eight or nine years
before, Bushrod Reynolds, jr. Bushrod Reynolds, sr., the father, and
Jemima Reynolds, the mother, were natives of the Old Dominion, whence
they had migrated but a few months prior to the birth of their little
son; Bushrod, with his whole worldly estate across his shoulder, in the
shape of rifle and ax; Jemima, with her whole paternal inheritance close
at her heels, in the shape of an unshapely, gigantic negro youth,
destined in after years to win for himself among the Red warriors of the
wilderness the high-sounding title of "The Big Black Brave of the Bushy
Head." With brave and cheerful hearts, which the pioneer must maintain,
or sink, they had gone to work, and cutting out a broad green patch from
the vine-inwoven forest, had erelong, in the midst of the sunshine thus
let in, built them a rustic home. Here, in the due course of nature, a
playful little pioneer made his appearance, whom they bundled up in red
flannel and christened Bushrod, and called Bushie--Burl's household
idol.

Now, as a hunter and Indian fighter, Bushrod Reynolds had few equals,
even in the Paradise--a land prolific beyond precedence of the heroic in
that line. Hence it naturally followed that he should take the lead of
the other pioneers, who made Fort Reynolds--as in compliment to him the
station was called--their place of refuge from the incursions of the
Indians, or their rallying-point for repelling the invaders. Thus on a
certain day it so befell that an Indian chase was started near Fort
Reynolds--a band of the Red marauders having made a bloody, burning
pounce upon the settlements the previous night, and now, loaded with
booty and scalps, were making all speed for the Ohio River, to throw
that broad barrier between themselves and danger.

The chase had been kept up for several miles, and the pursuers as yet
had failed to catch a glimpse of the fugitives. Swifter of foot than his
comrades, Captain Reynolds had imprudently, perhaps unconsciously,
pushed on far in advance, when on a sudden he found himself waylaid and
set upon by four or five of the savages, who, bolder than their fellows,
had dared to be the hindermost and cover the retreat. These, having
caught sight of their foremost pursuer, and marking that he ran quite
alone, had agreed among themselves t