ThewayhomebytheKentuckywasalongroadforwearyandwoundedmenwithhungergnawingundertheirbelts。Weknowwhoswungoutalongthetrailtoprovideforthatlittleband，\"dressedindeerskinscoloredblack，andhishairplaitedandbobbedup。\"ItwasDanielBoone——now，bypopulardemand，CaptainBoone——just\"dischargedfromService，\"sincethevalleyfortsneededhimnolonger。Oncemoreonlyahunter，hewenthiswayoverWaldenMountain——pasthisson’sgravemarkingtheplacewhereHEhadbeenturnedback——toservethemenwhohadopenedthegates。
ChapterVII。TheDarkAndBloodyGroundWiththecomingofspringDanielBoone’sdesire，solongcherishedanddeferred，tomakeawayforhisneighborsthroughthewildernesswastobefulfilledatlast。Buterehisaxcouldslashthethicketsfromthehomeseekers’path，morethantwohundredsettlershadenteredKentuckybythenorthernwaterways。
EightyormoreofthesesettledatHarrodsburg，whereHarrodwaslayingouthistownonagenerousplan，with\"in-lots\"ofhalfanacreand\"out-lots\"oflargersize。AmongthoseassociatedwithHarrodwasGeorgeRogersClark，whohadsurveyedclaimsforhimselfduringtheyearbeforethewar。
Whileovertwohundredcolonistswerepickingouthomesiteswherevertheirpleasureorprudencedictated，agiganticlandpromotionscheme——involvingtheverytractswheretheyweresowingtheirfirstcorn——wasbeingsetafootinNorthCarolinabyabodyofmenwhofigureintheearlyhistoryofKentuckyastheTransylvaniaCompany。TheleaderofthisorganizationwasJudgeRichardHenderson。*JudgeHendersondreamedabigdream。Hiscastleintheairhadimperialproportions。Heresolved，inshort，topurchasefromtheCherokeeIndiansthelargerpartofKentuckyandtoestablishthereacolonyafterthemannerandtheeconomicformoftheEnglishLordsProprietors，whosedayinAmericawassonearlydone。Thoughinthelightofhistorytheplanlosesnoneofitsdramaticfeatures，itshowsthepracticaldefectsthatmustsurelyhavepreventeditsrealization。LikemanyanotherCaesarhungeringforempireandstakingalltowinit，theprospectivelordofKentucky，asweshallsee，hadleftthehumanequationoutofhiscalculations。
*RichardHenderson（1734-1785）wasthesonoftheHighSheriffofGranvilleCounty。Atfirstanassistanttohisfather，hestudiedlawandsoonachievedareputationbythebrillianceofhismindandthemagnetismofhispersonality。AspresidingJudgeatHillsboroughhehadcomeintoconflictwiththeviolentelementamongtheRegulators，whohaddrivenhimfromthecourtandburnedhishouseandbarns。Forsometimepriortohiselevationtothebench，hehadbeenengagedinlandspeculations。