The fort, alone and unprotected in the wilderness, was soon attacked by a great war-party, but managed to beat off the assailants.  Shortly afterwards, while leading an expedition to the Blue Licks, on the Licking river, to secure a supply of salt, Boone became separated from his men, and was surprised and captured by an Indian war-party.  The joy of the savages at this capture may be imagined, for they had in their hands their most intrepid foe.  After being exhibited to the British at Detroit, he was brought back to the Indian settlements north of the Ohio, and formally adopted into an Indian family, for the savages desired, if possible, to make this mighty hunter and warrior one of themselves.  And Boone might have really adopted Indian life, which appealed to him in many ways, but one day he found that preparations were on foot for another great expedition against Boonesborough.  Watching his opportunity, he managed to escape, and reached the fort in time to warn it of the impending attack.  He covered the distance, 160 miles, in four days, eating but a single meal upon the road—­a turkey which he managed to shoot.

He came to Boonesborough like one risen from the dead.  The fort was at once put into a state of defense, and endured the most savage assault ever directed against it, the Indians numbering nearly five hundred, while the garrison mustered but sixty-five.  The siege lasted for nine days, when the Indians, despairing of overcoming a resistance so desperate, retired.

The succeeding years were full of adventure and hair-breadth escapes, which cannot even be mentioned here.  On one occasion, Boone and his brother, Squire, were surprised by Indians; the latter was killed and scalped and Boone escaped with the greatest difficulty.  At the battle of Blue Licks, two years later, two sons fought at his side, one of whom was killed and the other severely wounded.  But Boone seemed to bear a charmed life.  His years in the wilderness had developed in him an almost supernatural keenness of sight and hearing; and constant peril from the Indians had made him very careful.  Whenever he went into the woods after game or Indians, he had perpetually to keep watch to make sure that he was not being hunted in turn.  Every turkey-call might mean a lurking savage, every cracking twig might mean an approaching foe.

On one occasion, his daughter and two other girls were carried off by Indians, and Boone, raising a small company, followed the trail of the fugitives without resting for two days and a night; then came to where the Indians had killed a buffalo calf and were camped around it, never dreaming of danger.  So Boone and his men crept up on them, shot down the Indians and rescued the girls.  On still another occasion, he was pursued by Indians, who used a tracking dog to follow his trail.  Boone turned, shot the dog, and then made good his escape.  Such incidents might be related by the dozen.  No wonder Boone was considered one of the most valuable men on the frontier, and was a very tower of strength in defending it against the Indians.