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essee；　from　North　Carolina；　and　from　Pennsylvania　and　other　sources；　huddled　together；　some　uncouth；　some　gentle…born；　and　all　starting　out　to　be　formed　into　the　men　and　women　of　Kentucky。　They　had　their　strange；　sad；　heroic　games　and　pastimes　under　his　guidance。　Two　little　girls　would　be　driving　the　cows　home　about　dusk；　three　little　boys　would　play　Indian　and　capture　them　and　carry　them　off；　the　husbands　of　the　little　girls　would　form　a　party　to　the　rescue；　the　prisoners　would　drop　pieces　of　their　dresses　along　the　way；　and　then　at　a　certain　point　of　the　woodsit　being　the　dead　of　night　now　and　the　little　girls　being　bound　to　a　tree；　and　the　Indians　having　fallen　asleep　beside　their　smouldering　campfiresthe　rescuers　would　rush　in　and　there　would　be　whoops　and　shrieks　and　the　taking　of　scalps　and　a　happy　return。　Or　some　settlers　would　be　shut　up　in　their　fort。　The　only　water　to　be　had　was　from　a　spring　outside　the　walls；　and　around　this　the　enemy　skulked　in　the　corn　and　grass。　But　their　husbands　and　sweethearts　must　not　perish　of　thirst。　So；　with　a　prayer；　a　tear；　a　final　embrace；　the　little　women　marched　out　through　the　gates　to　the　spring　in　the　very　teeth　of　death　and　brought　back　water　in　their　wooden　dinner…buckets。　Or；　when　the　boys　would　become　men　with　contests　of　running　and　pitching　quoits　and　wrestling；　the　girls　would　play　wives　and　have　a　quilting；　in　a　house　of　green　alder…bushes；　or　be　capped　and　wrinkled　grandmothers　sitting　beside　imaginary　spinning…wheels　and　smoking　imaginary　pipes。

Sometimes　it　was　not　Indian　warfare　but　civil　strife。　　One　morning　as　many　as　three　Daniel　Boones　appeared　on　the　playground　at　the　same　moment；　and　at　once　there　was　a　dreadful　fight　to　ascertain　which　was　the　genuine　Daniel。　This　being　decided；　the　spurious　Daniels　submitted　to　be：　the　one；　Simon　Kenton；　the　other；　General　George　Rogers　Clark。

And　there　was　another　game　of　historymore　practical　in　its　bearingswhich　he　had　not　taught　them；　but　which　they　had　taught　him；　they　had　played　it　with　him　that　very　morning。　When　he　had　stepped　across　the　open　to　the　school；　he　found　that　the　older　boys；　having　formed　themselves　into　a　garrison　for　the　defence　of　the　smaller　boys　and　girls；　had　barricaded　the　door　and　barred　and　manned　the　wooden　windows：　the　schoolhouse　had　suddenly　become　a　frontier　station；　they　were　the　pioneers；　he　was　the　invading　Indianslet　him　attack　them　if　he　dared！　He　did　dare　and　that　at　once；　for　he　knew　that　otherwise　there　would　be　no　school　that　day　or　as　long　as　the　white　race　on　the　inside　remained　unconquered。　So　had　ensued　a　rough…and…tumble　scrimmage　for　fifteen　minutes；　during　which　the　babies　within　wailed　aloud　with　real　terror　of　the　battle；　and　he　received　some　real　knocks　and　whacks　and　punches　through　the　loop…holes　of　the　stockade：　the　end　being　arrived　at　when　the　schoolhouse　door；　by　a　terrible　wrench　from　the　outside；　was　torn　entirely　off　its　wooden　hinges；　and　the　victory　being　attributedas　an　Indian　victory　always　was　in　those　daysto　the　overwhelming　numbers　of　the　enemy。

With　such　an　opening　of　the　day；　the　academic　influence　over　childhood　may　soon　be　restored　to　forcible　supremacy　but　will　awaken　little　zest。　Gray　was　glad　therefore　on　all　accounts　that　this　happened　to　be　the　day　on　which　he　had　promised　to　tell　them　of　the　battle　of　the　Blue　Licks。　Thirteen　years　before　and　forty　miles　away　that　most　dreadful　of　all　massacres　had　taken　place；　and　in　the　town　were　many　mothers　who　still　wept　for　their　sons；　many　widows　who　still　dreamed　of　their　young　husbands；　fallen　that　beautiful；　fatal　August　day　beneath　the　oaks　and　the　cedars；　or　floating　down　the　red…dyed　river。　All　the　morning　he　could　see　the　expectation　of　this　story　in　their　faces：　a　pair　of　distant；　clearest　eyes　would　be　furtively　lifted　to　his；　then　quickly　dropped；　or　another　pair　more　steadily　directed　at　him　through　the　backwoods　loop…hole　of　two　stockade　fingers。

At　noon；　then；　having　dismissed　the　smaller　ones　for　their　big　recess；　he　was　standing　amid　the　eager　upturned　faces　of　the　othersbareheaded　under　the　brilliant　sky　of　May。　He　had　chosen　the　bank　of　the　Town　Fork；　where　it　crossed　the　common；　as　a　place　in　which　he　should　be　freest　from　interruption　and　best　able　to　make　his　description　of　the　battle…field　well　understood。　This　stream　flows　unseen　beneath　the　streets　of　the　city　now　with　scarce　rent　enough　to　wash　out　its　grimy　channel；　but　then　it　flashed　broad　and　clear　through　the　long　valley　of　scattered　cabins　and　orchards　and　cornfields　and　patches　of　cane。

It　was　a　hazardous　experiment　with　the　rough　jewels　of　those　little　minds。　They　were　still　rather　like　diamonds　rolling　about　on　the　bottom　of　barbarian　rivers　than　steadily　set　and　mounted　for　the　uses　of　civilization。

He　fixed　his　eyes　upon　a　lad　in　his　fifteenth　year；　the　commandant　of　the　fort　of　the　morning；　who　now　stood　at　the　water　edge；　watching　him　with　breathless　attention。　　A　brave；　sunny　face；a　big　shaggy　head　holding　a　mind　in　it　as　clear　as　a　sphere　of　rock…crystal；　already　heated　with　vast　ambitiona　leader　in　the　school；　afterwards　to　be　a　leader　in　the　nationRichard　Johnson。

〃Listen！〃　he　cried；　and　when　he　spoke　in；　that　tone　he　reduced　everything　turbulent　to　peace。　〃I　have　brought　you　here　to　tell　you　of　the　battle　of　the　Blue　Licks　not　because　it　was　the　last　time；　as　you　know；　that　an　Indian　army　ever　invaded　Kentucky；　not　because　a　hundred　years　from　now　or　a　thousand　years　from　now　other　school…boys　and　other　teachers　will　be　talking　of　it　still；　not　because　the　Kentuckians　will　some　day　assemble　on　the　field　and　set　up　a　monument　to　their　forefathers；　your　fathers　and　brothers；　but　because　there　is　a　lesson　in　it　for　you　to　learn　now　while　you　are　children。　A　few　years　more　and　some　of　you　boys　will　be　old　enough　to　fight　for　Kentucky　or　for　your　country。　Some　of　you　will　be　common　soldiers　who　will　have　to　obey　the　orders　of　your　generals；　some　of　you　may　be　generals　with　soldiers　under　you　at　the　mercy　of　your　commands。　It　may　be　worth　your　own　lives；　it　may　save　the　lives　of　your　soldiers；　to　heed　this　lesson　now　and　to　remember　it　then。　And　all　of　youwhether　you　go　into　battles　of　that　sort　or　notwill　have　others；　for　the　world　has　many　kinds　of　fighting　to　be　done　in　it　and　each　of　you　will　have　to　do　his　share。　　And　whatever　that　share　may　be；　you　will　need　the　same　character；　the　same　virtues；　to　encounter　it　victorious；　for　all　battles　are　won　in　the　same　way；　all　conquerors　are　alike。　This　lesson；　then；　will　help　each　of　you　to　win；　none　of　you　to　lose。

〃Do　you　know　what　it　was　that　brought　about　the　awful　massacre　of　the　Blue　Licks？　It　was　the　folly　of　one　officer。

〃Let　the　creek　here　be　the　Licking　River。　The　Kentuckians；　some　on　foot　and　some　on　horse；　but　all　tired　and　disordered　and　hurrying　along；　had　just　reached　the　bank。　Over　on　the　other　sidesome　distance　backthe　Indians　were　hiding　in　the　woods　and　waiting。　　No　one　knew　exactly　where　they　were；　every　one　knew　they　counted　from　seven　hundred　to　a　thousand。　The　Kentuckians　were　a　hundred　and　eighty…two。　There　was　Boone　with　the　famous　Boonsborough　men；　the　very　name　of　whom　was　a　terror；　there　was　Trigg　with　men　just　as　good　from　Harrodsburg；　there　was　Todd；　as　good　as　either；　with　the　men　from　Lexington。　More　than　a　fourth　of　the　whole　were　commissioned　officers；　and　more　fearless　men　never　faced　an　enemy。　There　was　but　one　among　them　whose　courage　had　ever　been　doubted；　and　do　you　know　what　that　man　did？　〃After　the　Kentuckians　had　crossed　the　river　to　attack；　been　overpowered；　forced　back　to　the　river　again；　and　were　being　shot　down　or　cut　down　in　the　water　like　helpless　cattle；　that　manhis　name　was　Benjamin　Netherlanddid　this：　He　was　finely　mounted。　He　had　quickly　recrossed　the　river　and　had　before　him　the　open　buffalo　trace　leading　back　home。　About　twenty　other　men　had　crossed　as　quickly　as　he　and　were　urging　their　horses　toward　this　road。　But　Netherland；　having　reached　the　opposite　bank；　wheeled　his　horse's　head　toward　the　front　of　the　battle；　shouted　and　rallied　the　others；　and　sitting　there　in　full　view　and　easy　reach　of　the　Indian　army　across　the　narrow　river；　poured　his　volley　into　the　foremost　of　the　pursuers；　who　were　cutting　down　the　Kentuckians　in　the　river。　　He　covered　their　retreat。　　He　saved　their　lives。

〃There　was　another　soldier　among　them　named　Aaron　Reynolds。　He　had　had　a　quarrel　some　days　before　with　Colonel　Patterson　and　there　was　bad　blood　between　them。　During　the　retreat；　he　was　galloping　toward　the　ford。　The　Indians　were　close　behind。　But　as　he　ran；　he　came　upon　Colonel　Patterson；　who　had　been　wounded　and；　now　exhausted；　had　fallen　behind　his　comrades。　Reynolds　sprang　from　his　horse；　helped　the　officer　to　mount；　saw　him　escape；　and　took　his　poor　chance　on　foot。　For　this　he　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Indians。

〃That　is　the　kind　of　men　of　whom　that　little　army　of　a　hundred　and　eighty…two　was　made　upthe　oak　forest　of　Kentucky。　〃And　yet；　when　they　had　reached　the　river　in　this　pursuit　and　some　twenty　of　the　officers　had　come　out　before　the　ranks　to　hold　a　council　of　war　and　the　wisest　and　the　oldest　were　urging　caution　or　delay；　one　of　themMcGarysuddenly　waved　his　hat　in　the　air；　spurred　his　horse　into　the　river；　an