Margaret Ellington, was expecting a fine set of China when she opened the barrels her husband had brought home. She was shocked to discover, instead, a small, blond-haired boy who was tired, hungry and thirsty. She and her husband had lifted him out and carried him to their couch. She had sent him out for the doctor, but gave the boy sips of water and rubbed his poor cramped legs and arms while they waited. He looked up at her silently with wide, bright blue eyes. He was silent though, and she wondered how he had ended up inside the barrel, and how long he had been there.

She leaned close to give him another sip of water, and he finally had strength enough to whisper so quietly that she almost missed it.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"I want Mama." He said as tears filled his blue eyes.

***DB***

It became clear to Jemima Boone that no one was coming back for her. They had left her in this hole to die. When she had first realized it, she had wept bitter tears, imaging the faces of her parents, and her brother. And then she had felt a burning rage. Her parents had lost enough, been through enough. She was old enough to remember the sound of her mother weeping over her brother. She was determined that she would not be another source of grief. She fumbled around in the darkness, filled with a new strength. She wouldn't be a helpless victim whose body was found years and years later. She found a large rock, but it was deeply buried. She began to claw at the dirt. It took hours and hours, and her beautiful fingers were cut and bleeding, but at last she pried it free. She turned all her attention to the boarded up opening above her, slamming it with the rock over and over again. She lost all sense of time. Her days and nights were measured only by how much each board splintered. She would work as hard as she could and then drop asleep completely exhausted and then it would start all over again when she would awaken. It seemed to stretch on and on and on, and she had nearly given up hope, when finally, a bright ray of light shown down into the darkness of the pit - a hole she had struggled to create. She was filled with tremendous hope then, and redoubled her efforts. It still took hours and hours to finally create a hole big enough that she was able to crawl out.

She lay on the grass sobbing for joy, finally free of her prison. It was hours before she found the strength to really look up and see her surroundings. None of it was familiar. But she remembered what her father had always taught her. Look for a source of water and follow it. She stumbled up and out, and finally came upon a small river which she followed. She was weak and exhausted and didn't know if she could last much longer when she finally stumbled into a Shawnee village. At any other time in her life, she would've been terrified, but she was so happy to see their familiar faces. They'd come to the settlement more times than she could count. They had looked down at her with wide surprised eyes.

"Shelltowee." She said pointing to herself. "Shelltowee."

***DB***

"Where?" He asked again not really absorbing any of their words. "Where?"

"Grace Bradley has . . ."

But he didn't wait and had already began to run. He pushed open the door without even knocking, and startled Grace had dropped the knitting in her hands.

"She's in our bed." She said pointing and he had dashed past her.

Jemima.

She looked small, and pale. He fell to his knees beside her and even though she was sleeping he couldn't stop himself from kissing her soft cheek.

"Pa?" She asked sleepily, as she opened her blue eyes.

"Right here." He said sitting beside her, and taking her hand in his. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"No. They put me in an old dried up well, I think. I don't know. They just left me there." She said. "I'm thirsty, Pa."

"Oh, here, darlin'." He helped her sip the cup of water.

"How did you get home?" He asked her.

"I got out. They'd put a board across the top, but I found a rock and splintered it. It took so long, and then I found a river and followed it. I don't know how long, and then I found a Shawnee village, and they brought me home."

"Ten days." He said gently, brushing her long dark hair off her face. "They came and took you ten days ago."

"Where's Israel?" She asked sleepily. "Where's Ma?"

"I don't know sweetheart. I don't know." He kissed her forehead. "You go to sleep now. You need to rest. Auntie Grace will take good care of you. I'm gonna find your Mama and your brother." He sat holding her hand until she was asleep. He walked out into the front of the cabin.

"I'm sorry, Grace. I sort of burst in here and . . ."

"Oh, sit down. There's some food there for you. You look like you haven't eaten in days."

"I should head out." He said.

"You've got plenty of time to head back to those falls. You been there every single night." She sighed. "What if they never show up?"

He sat at the bench at the long table. "I don't know, Grace. What else can I do?"

"You can eat that meal." She said. "Whatever happens at those falls tonight, you'll need to be strong."

"She's alright?" He asked lifting his spoon.

"She is. She has some cuts and bruises, but mostly she is just worn out - hungry and thirsty. I nearly fainted dead away when they came up to the gates with her. They carried her here, Daniel. They carried her like she was their child."

"I will never be able to express my gratitude to them. Did they say anything?"

"They said to tell you that 'no hand will go against Sheltowee's own.' They have great respect for you. They said to tell you that if you have need, they will battle with you." She said.

"All I want is Rebecca and Israel home and safe. I don't need . . ." He rose suddenly. "Thank you, Grace. Tell Matthew my thanks. I know she's safe with you." He turned to go. "She likes a light at night. She'll tell you she doesn't need it, but it comforts her all the same." He stood looking back at her where she slept and then turning quickly he left the cabin.

***DB***

He found Mingo talking to Matthew and Yadkin. "Let's go." He said sharply.

"It's early yet." Mingo began.

"No. I'm tired of sitting and waiting. This time, I won't just wait for them to come to me. You and me, are going huntin'."

He didn't wait for a response or a reacting, but strode out of the settlement on his long legs determined not to return alone.