n fact he was never heard of again.

Daniel Boone was now present, and when he and Peleg were together as
darkness fell over the camp Boone said: "I am more hopeful now that we
shall soon have peace than I have ever been before."

"Just now," suggested Peleg with a laugh, "I am thinking more of
something good to eat than I am of getting into the Indian villages."

"That suggests the one mistake which I fear has been made. In his
eagerness, the colonel has assembled his men before he has secured
supplies. The result is that almost every man is hungry to-night."

"I think I can endure it if the rest of the men do not complain," said
Peleg sturdily. "I have not been with you through all these years
without learning that I must not cry if everything I want does not come
to me just when I want it."

"That is well. I do not think we will remain here long. It may be that
we shall start within a few hours. All the men are eager to be gone, and
there is nothing to be gained by delay. Without sufficient supplies for
our horses as well as our men, the sooner we start the better it will be
for us all."

"Are all here who are expected?" inquired Peleg.

"There are about one thousand here now, including the regulars."

This conversation was interrupted by the announcement that they would
depart at once. There was a sufficient number of horses in the camp to
provide one for Peleg and for others who had come on foot.

Just previous to the start the great scout explained to Peleg, "We are
not far from one of the largest villages of the Indians. It may be that
we shall come to it before morning. That will depend upon the pace at
which our men advance."

The morning dawned, and still no sign of the first of the Indian
villages had been seen. Not a trace of a warrior had been discovered
throughout the night, nor had any been seen when several hours of the
new day had passed. Whether or not the Indians had been informed of the
approach of their enemies was not known.

Steadily the hungry men pressed forward, their conviction that the time
had arrived for them to obtain lasting relief from the attacks of the
treacherous Shawnees being even stronger than their feeling of hunger.

Peleg and the great scout were in the front lines, if indeed the
advancing body could be said to be moving with any appearance of order.
It is true the men kept closely together, but the nature of the ground
over which they were moving and the forests th