“Colonel Boone, ye listen to me,” he said, clearly and almost harshly. “I kem out hyer to settle, an’ I hev settled, an’ no Injuns is gwine ter unsettle me, onless they kill me fust. Ye kin go back if ye want to, but ole Bob Chassey stays hyer.”
“Hurrah for Bob Chassey!” cried several.
“That’s the talk,” said another pioneer. “Talk about going back! Whar are we a-going back to? I aint got no place to go to. I sold out, clean and clear. I’m a-going to stay here.”
“So am I! So am I!” was heard on every side.
“If the Injuns want to fight, let’s fight ’em,” said another.
These various speeches made Daniel Boone smile broadly. “I see you are of one heart,” he said. “And I am with you. We’ll stick and fight it out, if it takes years to do it. I believe if we give the Indians one good sound licking when they come again, they will leave us alone for a good long spell.”
The very next day men were set to work to strengthen and extend the stockade of the fort, which now took in not only the defense proper, but also a number of cabins close by. Each man and boy had to work two days per week on the fort, and some worked more, so anxious were they to have all in readiness should another attack come in the near future.
For the stockade of the fort a goodly number of small trees were needed. All those in the immediate vicinity of the stronghold had been cut down, so the pioneers had to go up and down the river for more logs. Trees growing close to the water’s edge would be cut, and a number would be formed into a raft, to be floated or poled to the spot desired.
One day in the middle of the week found Joe, Harry, and Darry Ford hard at work up the river. They had already brought down six trees of fair size, and were at work on three more. When these were down they intended to build a rude raft of the nine logs, and float them to a spot Colonel Boone had mentioned to them.
Not far from where the three pioneers were working was the log cabin of Andrew Pembly. Here the pioneer resided with his wife and six small children. The trees that were being cut were on Pembly’s land, but he was perfectly willing to have them taken away for purposes of defense.