and time in which to provide for our wants. As for your
preparations, we laugh at them. We do not fear painted faces. You
shall never enter our gates."

"We know that you are brave men," Captain Chene the soldier courteously
answered, and the daubed countenances of the Shawnees, peering from the
thickets behind him, tried to leer. "Governor Hamilton appreciates
your situation. The force against you is over-whelming, but he has
charged me not to destroy you. He does not wish even to treat you with
harshness. If you will send out nine of your men for a talk, we will
come to some agreement by which you will evade further trouble, and I
will then withdraw my forces and return whence we came."

Governor Hamilton certainly had acted kindly toward Daniel Boone, in
Detroit. The "hair-buying general," he was dubbed by the American
colonists because he gave out rewards for scalps and prisoners taken by
the Indians. But he had a good side, and Captain Boone felt moved to
experiment again. His men agreed with him. There was a slim chance of
favorable terms.

He took his brother Squire Boone, Stephen and William Hancock, Colonel
Richard Callaway, Settler Flanders, and three others. They carried no
arms, for Captain Chene was unarmed.

"We will halt within fair rifle-shot," said Captain Boone, to the
remaining men. "Do you cover us well and watch every movement."

The nine sallied out and met Captain Chene about forty yards in front
of the gates. Captain Chene proposed the terms. He was all politeness
and smiles. So were the Shawnee chiefs--although Black Fish eyed the
Big Turtle rather darkly. He thought him a very ungrateful son.

The terms were these, said Captain Chene: only these. If the
Boonesborough men would but sign a paper, promising not to fight
against His Britannic Majesty King George, and submitting to the rule
of Governor Hamilton, the whole garrison might march away unharmed,
with all their goods.

The nine looked upon each other questioningly. "That's ag'in all
reason," thought Daniel Boone; and so thought his comrades. Those four
hundred Indians would never permit it. They had been fooled by him
twice; they had come a long distance for plunder; they had been led to
expect rich prizes as their reward. Merely to see the garrison move
out, leaving a bare fort, would not satisfy them. Indians go to war
for scalps, horses, guns, powder, iron, captives.

"We will sign," remarked Daniel Boo