hat if there happen to be any redskins on our trail they will not
mistake us for the whole band."

"Have you seen any more signs?" inquired Peleg quickly.

[Illustration: "He was a tall, lean man, quiet in his bearing, and with
every indication of self-control, as well as of strength, stamped upon
his face and form"]

"Plenty o' signs, but we have not seen one o' the varmints. I know from
the way Daniel Boone is watchin' that he is a bit fearful. I think I
shall tell him to-morrow when we start for our game that we will let the
rest o' the party go ahead of us and we will bring up the rear. It may
save time to do that, because it will be easy to follow the trail they
will leave. Most of this country is new to me and the only one that is
sure of his way is the scout himself."

"I think that would be better," assented young Boone, "and, besides, if
we hunt in the rear of the party we shall be able to do double duty by
serving as a rear guard at the same time."

"That is right," laughed Sam. "Though that's for the King to say. The
great trouble with him is that he does not say very much."

"You have never been troubled that way, have you, Sam?" laughed Peleg.

"I can't say that I have. I think o' so many things; and if I think o'
them I want some one else to know what they are, too. You make your
arrangements with the King and we will be ready to do our share on the
morrow."

Accordingly, on the following day, when the advance was resumed, Sam
Oliver and his two young comrades waited for the cavalcade to pass and
then began their task of providing supplies and game for the company.

The emigrants now were nearing Cumberland Mountain. The three mountains
were not far apart and looked almost as if they had been carefully
planted at equal distances in the midst of the wilderness by some giant
hand. Some of the cliffs were so wild and rugged that when the creaking
wagons drew near the edge the children screamed in their terror. In the
main, however, the trail was less difficult than had been expected. The
huge masses of rock had been torn asunder in places by some volcanic
action in preceding ages and had left narrow passageways through which
the moving cavalcade was able to proceed without much difficulty.

October had come and the foliage which had been slightly tinted in the
preceding days had turned to a deeper shade. The trees were now ablaze
with colour. Sam Oliver in his enthusiasm declared that within a half