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 Supply of Water

Inside the fort, and not far from our cabin, is a spring, in which, in time of need, there will be found enough sweet water to supply all; that for cooking purposes must be brought from the creek. Again and again I have seen a dozen or more of the boys, each carrying a bucket, steal out through the gate that had been opened just enough to allow them to squeeze through, guarded by a score of men with rifles in hand, and bring as much water as might be needed during the day.

Thus far there have been many times when we had cause to worry about a lack of water, and days when those who showed themselves 4 incautiously upon the stockade were shot at from the forest near by. Each time, however, that our men went out in numbers they drove away the Indians who, as father says, have ever shown themselves cowardly save when it was possible to surprise and attack white people with overwhelming force.

[Illustration] from Hannah of Kentucky by James Otis

Before we had been at Boonesborough many days Billy, with the other lads and some of the men, engaged in such sports as shooting at a mark, wrestling, or running races. Not more than twice, however, could the poor boy afford to display his skill with his rifle. It would be sinful extravagance for him to waste much powder in proving that he was a better marksman than some other, for Mr. Henderson, who bought from the Cherokees all this land, sells our people powder at $2.66 a pound and lead at one shilling. So it may be seen that we children are not allowed to spend even a sixpence for pleasure.