all of jack gedney's doubts and misgivings left him for the time when he caught sight of the cabin of mr. burton. the moment he stepped into the clearing, where he could be seen, he was greeted by shouts from will and george.
"we've been waiting more than a half-hour for you," called out the elder; "what kept you?"
"i didn't start quite as early as i wanted to, and i was stopped on the way by a couple of indians."
mr. burton and his wife and daughter, who were within the cabin, came to the door when they heard this remark, for it was one in which it was natural that all should feel interest.
jack followed the other boys into the house, where all sat down, and the visitor gave an account of his wrestling bout with the young wyandot. when he came to relate how he sent the youth flying over his head, with his legs outspread like those of a frog, and of the trouncing the parent added to his defeat, every one of the listeners, including mrs. burton, laughed right merrily.
"it was bad enough to be tossed about in that fashion," said mr. burton, "but it was rough on the poor fellow to receive a whipping on that account."
"i would have given a good deal to see it," said will who had been thrown more than once by the doughty jack. "i can imagine how he felt when he went flying over your head, for i've been there myself."
"i was thinking," said jack, more seriously, "that it might be that the chief and his boy are not alone in the woods. you know that a chief is pretty apt to have his warriors near him."
"more than likely you are right: what of it?" asked mr. burton.
the lightness with which this question was asked lessened the fears of jack, and even made him ashamed that he was on the point of expressing them.
then, too, mrs. burton, who was sometimes nervous about her children, showed no more signs of alarm than did little ruth, standing by her side. jack fairly blushed to recall how much he had been disturbed by his misgivings. he looked around at the boys, and asked abruptly--
"well, are you ready, fellows?"
"yes, and have been for nearly an hour."
"then let's be off."
"how long do you think you will be away?" asked mrs. burton, putting her arms around each of her sons, and kissing them "good-bye."
"that depends on many things that can't be known now," said her husband, answering for the three. "i have no doubt they will spend one night in the woods, and perhaps two. i prefer that they should not be away any longer."
"we will not," said his elder boy, "unless something happens that we can't think of, and that won't let us get back."
"i don't think that is likely; but if you are not here by the close of the third day from this i shall start to hunt you up. then, if your explanation is not satisfactory, i know two boys who will be made to dance a war-dance to which that of the young wyandot cannot be compared."
all laughed at this remark of the father, and he himself spoke with a smile; but the young gentlemen concerned knew, all the same, that it was no laughing matter. their parent would carry out his threat in spirit and letter.
young george burton, who was short and stout, carried a blanket done up in a compact bundle, and strapped to his back, that being about the only burden of which he was given charge, the other extras being at the command of his big brother.
you will observe that not one of the boys had a dog with him. jack gedney had been the owner of a fine hunter, but that had been killed in a fight with two bears only a month before. mr. burton had a good animal, but he preferred to keep him at home, where his intelligence was valuable. he gave notice of the approach of strangers in ample time to take all precaution against surprise. he was especially useful at night, when the most cautious indian would have found it hard to steal up to the cabin without detection.
besides, the young hunters were in less need of such an animal than you would think. during these later days, when the instinct of the brutes seem to be necessary to the most skilled sportsman, that man would be foolish who expected much success without one to help him. but a hundred years ago game was so plentiful along the river ohio that the hunter could do very well without the aid of a dog. in the broad stretches of clearing or prairie roamed droves, numbering many hundreds, of american bison, or buffalo, as they are wrongly called; while the bears who at that season of the year were hunting for food, and the deer, wolves, and other animals, were so numerous that there was no excuse for any one failing to find them.
such a buoyant party of young hunters are not likely to linger long over their farewells. within the three minutes following the warning of mr. burton of what would follow if they overstayed their time all three were out of sight of the cabin.
the direction taken was almost due south where there were many miles of forest in which some at least of the wild animals had not yet seen a white man; more than likely many of them had not met a redskin for if they had done so they would not have been allowed to live to remember it.
since there was no path to follow, the boys walked beside each other. this was because they could talk better than in indian file, and three such lads as those i am telling you about could not have been persuaded to keep still by the offer of several fortunes in gold.
it surely is unsportsman-like to go hunting in that fashion. not only were they without dogs (for which i have given you a reason), but they kept together, and talked a great deal, whereas professional hunters would have separated whenever in the neighbourhood of game, and taken all pains to steal upon the animals before the latter could find out their danger.
the boys, however, stepped so softly upon the dry leaves that the rustling could be heard but a short distance, and they talked in such low voices that they might have passed close to a camp of indians without discovery.
and then, too, no matter how great their interest in what they said, they were always on the alert. they glanced from side to side, just as jack gedney did when walking along the path between his home and that of his friends.
for a time the wood was quite open, so that they were able to travel with little trouble. now and then came breaks in their conversation, caused by the big tree trunks around which they had to pass. then, too, the undergrowth was so dense that they sometimes involuntarily dropped into indian file, and advanced in silence. in other parts of kentucky there were long stretches of cane-brake so close that an indian has passed within four feet of the fugitive for whom he was hunting without seeing him.
young george burton suffered more than the others from the running vines, which were not always seen. some of these wound along the ground, like fine wire, and, catching in front of his ankle, did not break, but threw him forward on his hands and knees. he had so slight a distance to fall that it did not hurt him, and he joined the others in laughing over his slips. but all the same, it was anything but pleasant.
"hurrah, here is a path!" called out will, who was several steps in advance of the rest.
"i wonder what it means?" said jack, as he and george hurried up beside him.
all three, however, quickly saw the explanation. it was a track made by animals in going to and from one of the "salt licks," as they are called, which are quite common in many parts of that section.
you know how fond animals are of salt. well, there are spots in the country which i am telling you about where the water which oozes upward through the ground is so salt that, if left alone, it makes quite a deposit of that mineral. the wild beasts soon find it out, and lick the ground, so as to get the salt. the spaces sometimes cover hundreds of square feet, where the earth has been made as smooth as a planed board by the tongues of the different creatures in their quest for salt.
in some places the salt is so plentiful that the settlers used to gather there and spend days in getting it ready for domestic use. daniel boone was once engaged in doing this when he was captured by indians, and kept a prisoner for a long time.
from some of the salt licks you might have seen the paths of wild beasts radiating outward, until, as the animals fell away from the trails, they were gradually lost in the wilderness.
"we shall be likely to find some game there," was the remark of jack, after the three had stood several minutes looking down at the ground, where the imprints of hoofs and feet were so numerous that none of them could be identified.
"that's what we have come into the woods for," replied will, with a laugh.
"yes, though you know that in kentucky we are apt to find spots where there are more wild beasts than we can get along with comfortably."
