ried
on the stream. It may whirl about and turn and twist, but it is always
carried forward." As he spoke, the leader stooped, and taking a tiny
branch which had fallen to the ground tossed it into the noisy little
stream which went tumbling down the side of Cumberland Mountain on its
way to the great river and the sea beyond. "It is somewhat like that, my
lad," continued Daniel Boone, running his fingers through his hair as he
spoke. "Man is borne onward by a Power which he does not understand, and
yet which he must recognize as greater than his own. It is so that one
is carried by the years. One is helpless to stop them in their course,
as helpless as that little branch which I threw into the water. It does
no one any good to rebel or complain. Every man must accept the facts of
his life, believing that there is a Power that guides and controls far
better than he knows how to do."

The scout spoke musingly, almost as if he thought himself to be alone. A
brief silence followed his words, and then Daniel Boone turned once more
to Peleg. "My lad," he said, "all I say is that one cannot turn back.
However much I may sorrow over the loss of my boy, I cannot go back to
him. The only direction in which I can move is forward. If one can only
find the right way, that is not so bad."

"Yes, sir," said Peleg, hardly aware of the full meaning of Boone's
words.

"You were a friend of my boy."

"Yes, sir," again responded Peleg, his voice breaking once more in spite
of his efforts at self-control.

"You shall be _my_ friend from this time forward. You cannot take the
place of James, but because you were his friend you shall have a share,
if you so desire, such as he might have had, in my life and my plans.
Your father is not living?"

"He has been dead three years."

"And your mother?"

"She died when I was a baby."

"Then there is no one to whom you can turn?"

"I have lived with my uncle, but I have no desire to go back to him."

Boone looked keenly into the face of the boy by his side and was silent
a moment. "Peleg," he resumed, "I meant what I said just now. If you so
desire, you shall be my friend."

"I do desire it," said Peleg impulsively. "There Is nothing I want so
much as I do to be with you. It is good of you to think of me----"

"Say no more," interrupted Boone. "I shall not forget, though I may not
speak to you soon of this matter again. When the time comes, I shall not
fail to let you know."

When