e
letters of the alphabet and how to spell and to write after he had grown
to manhood. We can be sure, therefore, that James was the right sort of
boy, and that he would have mastered books if he had been given the
chance, just as he mastered the wilderness in later life. But it is as a
backwoodsman that we first come to know Robertson and learn why he was
trusted and followed so willingly.

Although not tall, he was vigorous and robust, having fair complexion,
dark hair, and honest blue eyes that met one's glance squarely. His frank,
serious face, his quiet manner, and his coolness and daring in the midst
of danger gave him a mastery over others such as it is given but few men
to have.

Like Boone, he was noted as a successful hunter; but hunting and exploring
were not with him the chief motives for going into the wilderness. He was
first of all a pioneer settler who was seeking rich farming lands with
near-by springs, where he could make a good home for his family and give
his children advantages which he himself had never enjoyed.

Led by this motive, he left his home in North Carolina to seek his fortune
among the forest-clad mountains, whose summits he could see far-away to
the west. With no companion but his horse and no protection but his rifle,
he slowly and patiently made his way through the trackless woods, crossing
mountain range after mountain range, until he came to the region where the
rivers flowing westward had their beginning.

Much to his surprise, he found here on the Watauga River some settlers
from Virginia, who gave him a kindly welcome. He stayed long enough to
plant a crop of corn and see it grow up and ripen.

Then, late in the autumn, having decided that this was a good place for
his family, he started back home. His faithful horse was his only
companion. Some corn in his leather wallet was all the food he carried. He
trusted his rifle for the rest.

[Illustration: Early Settlements in Kentucky and Tennessee.]

All went well for a time, but in the depth of the pathless forest he
missed his way, and the mountains became so steep and rough that his horse
could not get across. Imagine his sorrow when, to save his own life, he
had to part from his dumb friend and start on alone.

Other misfortunes befell him. The little store of corn that he had brought
with him gave out, and his powder became so wet that it was useless for
shooting game. So almost his only food for fourteen days was such n