When awakened, Conrad thought he was dreaming; but, after rubbing his eyes and collecting his senses, he realized that the yelling and commotion were being caused by savages. His instinct prompted him to steal away, but, when he saw them leading the horse from the stable shed and one Indian cruelly beat it, he forgot himself and rushed to interfere. The horse was the best friend Conrad had known since his mother died. A half drunken savage seized the boy by the hair, but others interfered, and so it happened that, instead of being killed on the spot, he found himself, together with the horse, a prisoner and hurried along the trail in the forest. Conrad made no complaint but quietly went with his captors. He recalled that Vuysen had said there was peace with the Indians but had added, in the words of an old chief, "The rogues on both sides always make trouble." Perhaps, after all, this was but a thieving expedition and they might adopt him as a member of the tribe, a thought which strangely enough brought comfort to the boy's heart. He loved the woods and did not love the Vuysens. The savages could not know this and so, though he had no thought of trying to escape, they bound him. Although his bonds were uncomfortable he slept soundly, while Rodney, down in Virginia in his comfortable bed, passed a restless night; all of which helps to prove that it does not always depend so much on what one has, as on what one thinks about it. When Rodney came down to breakfast the next morning he was resolved to urge his father to make a pioneer home in the wonderful West he had heard so many tales about, out where there was plenty of big game and where there were broad acres to be had for the taking. Not until he had nearly finished his breakfast did he screw up his courage to the point of carrying out his resolve. Then he said: "Father, I've heard you say there is land out on the Ohio River which you can have because of your service in the last war. Why don't we settle on it? This place has nothing for us with the squire for an enemy, and not much at best." "You little know of the perils, my lad. Surely ye wouldna' ha' the mother an' little one killed by the savages? But I'm minded to say that a venture into the western part o' this colony is much to my liking this morning. From all I can learn a poor man in those parts is not so hedged aboot as here." Neither father nor son thought of the generally observed fact that when a poor man began to seek a home where land was cheap he usually became a pioneer with his face turned toward the West, the great longing for a better home luring him toward the richer lands said to lie beyond the mountains. CHAPTER III HOW RODNEY AND ANGUS BECAME FRIENDS "Say, Sim, what's the story you's goin' to tell, the one yer cousin told ye?" "Yes, tell us about it, Sim."