Late in the evening of the fifteenth day’s pursuit, from a little eminence, they discovered in the distance before them, through the woods, a smoke and the light of a fire.  The palpitation of their parental hearts may be easily imagined.  They could not doubt that it was the camp of the captors of their children.  The plan of recapture was intrusted entirely to Boone.  He led his company as near the enemy as he deemed might be done with safety, and selecting a position under the shelter of a hill, ordered them to halt, with a view to passing the night in that place.  They then silently took food as the agitation of their minds would allow.  All but Calloway, another selected person of their number, and himself, were permitted to lie down, and get that sleep of which they had been so long deprived.  The three impatiently waited for midnight, when the sleep of the Indians would be most likely to be profound.  They stationed the third person selected, on the top of the eminence, behind which they were encamped, as a sentinel to await a given signal from the fathers, which should be his indication to fly to the camp and arouse the sleepers, and bring them to their aid.  Then falling prostrate, they crept cautiously, and as it were by inches, towards the Indian camp.

Having reached a covert of bushes, close by the Indian camp, and examined as well as they could by the distant light of the camp-fires, the order of their rifles, they began to push aside the bushes, and survey the camp through the opening.  Seventeen Indians were stretched, apparently in sound sleep, on the ground.  But they looked in vain among them for the dear objects of their pursuit.  They were not long in discovering another camp a little remote from that of the Indians.  They crawled cautiously round to take a survey of it.  Here, to their inexpressible joy, were their daughters in each others arms.  Directly in front of their camp were two Indians, with their tomahawks and other weapons within their grasp.  The one appeared to be in a sound sleep, and the other keeping the most circumspective vigils.

The grand object now was to get possession of the prisoners without arousing their captors, the consequence of which it was obvious, would be the immediate destruction of the captives.  Boone made a signal to Calloway to take a sure aim at the sleeping Indian, so as to be able to despatch him in a moment, if the emergency rendered that expedient necessary.  Boone, the while, crawled round, so as to reach the waking Indian from behind; intending to spring upon him and strangle him, so as to prevent his making a noise to awaken the sleeper.  But, unfortunately, this Indian instead of being asleep was wide awake, and on a careful look out.  The shadow of Boone coming on them from behind, aroused him.  He sprang erect, and uttered a yell that made the ancient woods ring, leaving no doubt that the other camp would be instantly alarmed.  The captives, terrified by the war yell of their sentinels,