The Indians took one of these roads after they got far from the fort.  They could travel more easily in it.  They did not take pains to hide their tracks.

As fast as their feet could carry them, Boone and his friends traveled along the trail.  When they had gone about ten miles they saw the Indians.

The Indians had stopped to rest and to eat.  It was very warm and they had put off their moc-ca-sins and laid down their arms.  They were kindling a fire to cook by.

In a moment the Indians saw the white men.  Boone and Galloway were afraid the Indians would kill the girls.

Four of the white men shot at the Indians.  Then all rushed at them.

The Indians ran away as fast as they could.  They did not stop to pick up their guns or knives or hatchets.  They had no time to put on their moccasins.

The poor worn-out girls were soon safe in their fathers’ arms.

Back to Boones-bor-ough they went, not minding their tired feet.  When they got to the fort there was great joy to see them alive.

I do not believe they ever played in the water again.

DECATUR AND THE PIRATES.

Nearly a hundred years have passed since the ship “Phil-a-del-phi-a” was burned.  But the brave sailors who did it will never be for-got-ten.

The people of Trip-o-li in Af-ri-ca were pirates.  They took the ships of other nations at sea.  They made slaves of their prisoners.  The friends of these slaves sometimes sent money to buy their freedom.  Some countries paid money to these pirates to let their ships go safe.

Our country had trouble with the pirates.  This trouble brought on a war.  Our ships were sent to fight against Trip-o-li.

One of the ships fighting against the pirates was called the “Phil-a-del-phi-a.”  One day she was chasing a ship of Trip-o-li.  The “Phil-a-del-phi-a” ran on the rocks.  The sailors could not get her off.  The pirates came and fought her as she lay on the rocks.  They took her men prisoners.  Then they went to work to get her off.  After a long time they got her into deep water.  They took her to Tripoli.  Our ships could not go there after her, because there were so many great cannons on the shore near the ship.

The pirates got the “Philadelphia” ready to go to sea.  They loaded her cannons.  They meant to slip out past our ships of war.  Then they would take a great many smaller American ships.

But the Americans laid a plan to burn the “Philadelphia.”  It was a very dan-ger-ous thing to try to do.  The pirates had ships of war near the “Philadelphia.”  They had great guns on the shore.  There was no way to do it in the day-time.  It could only be done by stealing into the Bay of Tripoli at night.

The Americans had taken a little vessel from the pirates.  She was of the kind that is called a ketch.  She had sails.  She also had long oars.  When there was no wind to sail with, the sailors could row her with the oars.