Contents ▼▲
Front Matter At Boonesborough Beginning of the Story Boone on the Yadkin Boone Moves his Family Ready for the Journey What we Wore Driving Cattle and Sheep Camping at Nightfall The Long Halt Jimmy Boone Goes to Clinch Murder of Jimmy Boone A Time of Mourning The Faint-hearted Return A New Home Making Moccasins Tanning Leather Governor Dunmore Our Home on the Clinch Household Duties Attacked by a Wildcat Fighting the Wildcat Boone and Father Return The Wilderness Road Building the Forts Boonesborough Gathering Salt Boonesborough Precautions Our Home in the Fort Ready for Cooking Furnishing the House The Hominy Block The Supply of Water Sports Inside the Fort Wrestling and Running Religion of the Indians Indian Babies Colonel Callaway Arives News from Eastern Colonies Venturing Outside the Fort Dividing the Land Who Owned Kentucky? Ready to Build a Home Billy's Hard Lot Preparing Flax Spinning and Soap Making Broom Making More Indian Murders Indian "Signs" Woodcraft and Hunting Pelts Used as Money Petition of the Settlers Making Sugar Building Fences Capture of the Girls My Willful Thoughts Finding the Trail The Pursuit The Story Told by Jemima Elizabeth's Heroism Rescuing the Girls Alarm Among the Settlers Indians on the Warpath The First Wedding The Wedding Festivities The Brides Home The Housewarming Attacks by the Indians Besieged by the Savages In the Midst of the Fight The Assault by the Indians Failure of the Assault Watchfulness of the Indians The Sortie My Father Wounded Our Wounded

Hannah of Kentucky - James Otis




The Capture of the Girls

It was on a hot day in July, when even the most industrious of our company were forced to seek some spot where they could be sheltered from the burning rays of the sun, that Billy and I were sitting just within the shadow of the watch-house nearest the creek, when Elizabeth Callaway, with her sister Fanny and Jemima Boone, came over to ask if we would go on the water in her father's canoe.

I knew that by drifting down the creek as far as the river we would find a cooling breeze, and I dearly wanted to go with the girls, as did Billy; but only the day before mother had said that, without first getting her consent, we must not wander a hundred paces from the fort, unless we went to the plantation with father.

[Illustration] from Hannah of Kentucky by James Otis

Billy went at once to find her, believing she might be in Mrs. Boone's cabin; but she was not there, and he spent so much time searching for her that Elizabeth finally said that they would go on, but that we should follow when mother had given permission.