The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-12-21
CAPTAINS OF
ADVENTURE
by Merrill Compa
By ROGER POCOCK


wife and children and many women,
but scarcely any men. But knowing
the ways of the redskins Boone saw
that if he let them capture his own
men in camp at the salt-licks they
would go home without attacking
Boonesborough.
A council followed at which fifty
nine Indians voted to burn these Amer
leans at the stake against sixty-One
who preferred to sell them to Hamil-
ton as prisoners of war. Saved by
two votes, they marched on a winter
journey dreadful to the Indians as we'll
as to the prisoners; but all shared
alike when dogs and horses had TO
be killed for food. Moreover the saw
ages became so fond of Boone that
they resolved to make an Indian of
him. Not wanting to be an Indian
he bargained for his release with
Hamilton the Hair Buyer, promising
things advantageous to the latter, but
when the British officer offered a hun
dred pounds for this one captive it
was not enough for these loving saw
ages. They took Boone home, pulled
out his hair, leaving only fine scalp
lock adorned with feathers, bathed
him in the river to wash all his white
blood out, painted him, and named him
Big Turtle. AS the adopted son Of the
chief, Black Fish, Boone pretended
to be happy, and in four months had
become popular chief, rather close
ly watched, but allowed TO go out hunt
ing Then large Indian force as
sembled to march against Fort BOones-
borough.
Boone easily got leave TO go out
hunting, and a whole day passed be
fore his flight was known. Doubling
on his course, setting blind trails, wad-
ing along the streams to hide his
tracks, sleeping in thickets or in hOl-
low logs, starving because he dared
not fire gun to get food, his clothes
in rags, his feet bloody, he made his
way across country, and on the fifth
day staggered into Fort BoonesbOr-
ough
Lie cllCiHy "SIS lung Oh the way.
There was time to send riders for
succor and scouts to watch, to repair
the fort, even TO raid the Shawnee
country before the invaders arrived
one hundred Canadians and four hun
dred Indians, while BoOne'S garrison
numbered fifty men and boys, with
twenty-five brave women.
Very solemn was Boone, full of ne
gotiations, gaining day after day with
talk, waiting in a fever for expected
succor from the colonies. Nine COM
missioners on either side were to sign
the treaty, but the Indians-fOr good
measure-sent eighteen ENJOYS to clasp
the hands of their nine white brothers,
and drag them into the bush for exc
cution. The white commissioners
broke loose, gained the fort, slammed
the gates and fired from ramparts.
Long, bitter and vindictive was the
siege. A pretended retreat failed to
lure Boone's men into ambush. The
Indians dug mine under the walls,
but threw the dirt from the tunnel
d
dy water gave their game away.
Torches were thrown on the roofs, but
women put out the flames. When at
last the siege was raised and the In
dams retreated, twenty-four hours
lapsed before the famished garrison
dared to throw open their gates.
In these days a Kentucky force, led
by the hero George Rogers Clark, cap
tured the French forts on the Illinois,
won over their garrisons, and marched
on the fortress of Vincennes through
flooded lands, up to their necks in
water, starving, half drowned. They
captured the wicked Hamilton and led
him away in chains.
Toward the end Of the war once
more a British force of Frenchmen
and Indians raided Kentucky, besieg-
ing Logan's fort, and but for the valor
of the women, that sorely stricken
garrison would have persisted.
With the reliefs to the rescue rode
Daniel Boone and his son Israel, then
aged twenty-three. At sight Of rein
forcements the enemy bolted, hOtly
pursued to the banks of Licking river.
Boone implored the people not to cross
into the certainty of an ambush, but
the Kentuckians took no notice, charg-
ing through the river and up a ridge
between two pushed rayines
From both TANKS the WyandOts
charged with tomahawkS while the
Shawnees raked the horsemen with
a CALLING fire, and there was pitiless
hewing down of the broken flying set
tiers. Last in that flight came Boone,
bearing in his arms his MORALLY
wounded son, Overtaken, cut off, al
most surrounded before he struck off
from the path, leaping from rock to
rock AS he swan the river Israel
died, but the father carried his body
on into the shelter of the forest.
With the ending of the war of the
Revolution, the United States spread
gradually westward, and to the close
of his long life old Daniel Boone was
ever at the front of their advance,
taking. his rest at last beyond the Mis-
sissippi Today his patient and hero
ic spirit inspires all boys, leads every
frontiersman, commands the pioneers
upon the warrior trails, the ax-hewn
paths, the wilderness roads of march
ing empire.