Kindred spoke with Mavis and finally agreed, still without enthusiasm, and the two men were soon on their way through the woods, moving in a southeasterly direction. It was unlikely that any other white men used this route, but it was their preferred way to the river and then on to Savannah. They followed the narrow trail that roughly paralleled the creek, always taking the correct fork to avoid going to the stream or northward toward other homesteads in the area. Formed over a period of generations by Creek Indians, these trails could not have been laid out better if done by expert surveyors. Mostly on high ground, they avoided thickets and descended to cross a number of small tributary streams at the shallow, fordable places. The men moved forward as fast as possible, keeping their horses at a trot or a fast walk. At best, they could not reach Ashe’s outposts before midafternoon.

As they began their ride, Ethan had backed off to let Kindred go first down the narrow trail, thinking that the younger man would appreciate knowing that he was trusted to take the lead. Ethan was a natural leader, broad-shouldered and strong, blond, ruddy-faced, quiet and self-possessed until aroused. He was at ease exchanging frontier stories, often arousing laughter as he described his own mistakes and foibles, but the other men were cautious about going too far to make him the butt of their own jokes. They also knew that, around Ethan, his young friend was also within this protective shield, so their sly comments about effeminacy and friendship with Indians were not made in his presence. Kindred’s admiration for Ethan was obvious to everyone.

Kindred rode his horse with complete ease, permitting the animal to accommodate the changing characteristics of the trail with an almost imperceptible shift of the reins or a murmured word. Ethan noticed the fluidity of his movements, similar to those of Newota, who had sometimes joined them to hunt for turkey or deer. Ethan was also impressed with Kindred’s knowledge of the forest, which included not only the common names of major trees but also those that most frontiersmen ignored and just called bushes and weeds. He was modest about displaying what he knew, but when any question about plants or animals came up naturally, he and Mavis were always ready to share their knowledge with the Pratts and other neighboring families.