F Heritage History | Hannah of Kentucky by James Otis
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




Jimmy Boone Goes to the Clinch

Before breakfast was cooked, and I well remember that the last of our store of meal was used for the journey cake that morning, Jemima Boone came to tell us that her oldest brother, Jimmy, and two of the men were to ride over to the Clinch River, in the hope of being able to buy some meal from the settlers.

"Father says that Jimmy must now do the work of a man, and surely you never saw a prouder boy than he was when he rode off at the head of the little party."

"Will they be away long?" Billy asked, and Jemima replied with a laugh.

"No; so we need not feel lonely. Father has given orders that they come back by sunset, whether they buy any meal or not."

"Is he afraid the Indians may be near?" Billy asked, and Jemima laughed as if he had said something comical.

"While we are here in the valley there is no fear that they will bother us. To tell the truth, Hannah, I am beginning to believe so much has been said about the danger in order that we might keep sharper watch over the cattle and sheep. Surely if there were any Indians this side of the Cumberland Mountains, we should have seen them days and days ago."

Then Jemima left us to tell the other children where Jimmy had gone, for she enjoyed spreading news.

[Illustration] from Hannah of Kentucky by James Otis

When night came once more, Jimmy Boone and those who had ridden with him had not returned, and I asked Mrs, Boone if she was afraid some trouble might have come, or whether he had not lost the trace?

She laughed at such a foolish question, declaring that Jimmy was nearly as well able to take care of himself as was his father, and that she would be ashamed of him if at his age he could not ride from Powell's Valley to the Clinch River without going astray.

But the poor boy had mistaken the trail, as we were soon to learn. Next morning a white man and a negro rode into camp at full speed, as if the Indians were dose at their heels, and then we heard this most cruel story: