The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-15
CHAPTER NNI.
a Fair Warning.

Now that the fatboat had resumed It's
eventful voyage down the Ohio, Simon
Kenton found himself confronted by two
grave problems
The first concerned the whole party,
for whom he was acting as guide The
sudden and virulent hostility of the In
dams left no doubt that a serious mis-
take was made by Norman Ashbridge
and Thomas Altman. when they failed
20 tie up at the blockhouse and wait un-
III matters became settled before going
10 their new home at the clearing.
The reports brought ia by other ran
gers. as well as the knowledge gained
by Kenton. made clear the increasing
activity among the various tribes. They
were preparing 70 take the war trail
In fact. they had already done so, and
the situation OF the little party In the
single cabin or In both. II given time 20
erect second structure. was likely to
become perilous 20 the last degree. Be
set by the hostlles on all sides nothing
could save them from destruction.
The different conflicts had intensified
their hatred OF the white men. They
had lost several warriors and their chief.
the dreaded Panther was a prisoner In
their hands at that very moment.
Yes" thought the scout, who gave
no further attention 10 the silent Jethro.
whose head was beginning TO nod with
drowsiness 1T was a big bIunder they
made I'm not stopping with Capt. Bush
wick. at the blockhouse but what's the
use OF thinking of that. bein' as they
didn't do II and are getting further
away every minute? We've got to face
the futu'"
A part OF his plan has already been
explained. II was 10 allow the craft to
drift with the current. and. If they ar
rived off the clearing before daylight.
10 anchor and wait till the sun rose be-
fore going anything further No land
ing would be made until after full re-
connoissance. If everything looked well.
they would go ashore, establish them
selevs I'm a single cabin and begin the
building Of another.
II the outlook was threatening. and
he was quite certain AZ would prove
so, the worst course possible would be
to land, for then they would enter
trap from which they could not extri-
cate themselves. The Indians would
speedily gather a strong force surround
the cabin and hem In the pioneers be-
yond possibility OF escape.
The reader has noted the alarming
contingency that threatened; the whites
in the event OF not landing must be-
come virtual prisoners on the fiatboat
itself. They could float down, but not
up stream. The only way Of reaching
the blockhOuse would be by going
ashore secretly at night and hurrying
thither through the woods.
IL is hard TO conceive a more perilous
venture than this must prove. inasmuch
as IL would be almost impossible to hide
the movement from the hostiles, who
would have them at fatal disadvantage
In the shadowy depths of the forest
This was the question which Kenton
turned over I'm his mind. and which
caused him TO doubt whether he was
doing right, even in letting the fatboat
drift the few remaining miles. for he
was continually increasing the distance
between his friends and safety. They
had set their hearts on going 10 the
clearing, however, and there remained
the faint prospect that the gathering
storm among the Indians might pass
without the lightning striking again.
He decided to continue the voyage.
The scout naturally sought to dis
count the future. In other words he
had calculated upon certain events oc-
curing, with the general result that
nothing Of the kind took place II was
useless. therefore, TO figure and specu-
late. The true course was TO hold him
self ready for whatever came
The second problem that puzzled him
was as to the best disposition 10 make
OF The Panther. IL has already been
shown that Kenton could do him no
harm so long as he remained his
prisoner. They must meet I'm the woods
or somewhere on an equal footing
Could he have secured such an inter-
view the day before. near the spring.