Henry believed this boat an object to be dreaded, and he walked swiftly toward the blockhouse, where Major Braithwaite was standing. The Major noticed his manner and asked:
"Is it anything alarming?"
"I am afraid so. It's the big boat that you see out there in the river. Suppose we go to the top of the blockhouse and look at it through your glasses."
The Major went without a word. He was unconsciously relying more and more upon the boy whom he variously addressed as "Young sir" and "My young friend." Nor did he take the first look. He handed the glasses to Henry, who made a long examination of the boat and then, sighing, passed them back to the Major.
Major Braithwaite's survey was not so long and he looked puzzled when he took the glasses down.
"Now, what in the name of Neptune do you make of it, young sir?" he asked.
"It's a flatboat that once belonged to an emigrant party," said Henry. "Such boats, built for long voyages and much freight, are of heavy timbers and this is no exception. They have mounted upon it two cannon, twelve pounds at least. I can see their muzzles and the places that have been cut away in the boat's side to admit them."
Major Braithwaite's face whitened.
"Cannon here in the wilderness!" he exclaimed.
"One of our stations in Kentucky has been attacked with cannon."