346 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



man of cultivation and taste, and a lover of Natural 

 Science," gave him refreshment and a horse. In his 

 eagerness to cover the fifteen miles to the Percy house 

 as rapidly as possible, he tried to strike a straight course 

 through the dark forest, but missed his way, and dawn 

 found him on unfamiliar ground ; he then learned from 

 a negro that he was two miles beyond the place. When 

 he arrived at last "with rent and wasted clothes, and 

 uncut hair, and altogether looking like the wandering 

 Jew," his wife was busily engaged in teaching her pupils. 

 During his absence of nearly fourteen months she had 

 prospered greatly, and she was not only ready but eager 

 to place her earnings at her husband's disposal. 



When he had finally decided to take his drawings to 

 Europe for publication, Audubon set to work to increase 

 his capital, and soon had pupils in French, music, and 

 drawing, while a dancing class of sixty was organized 

 in a neighboring town. His country lads and lassies 

 proved rather awkward material, and he broke his bow 

 and nearly ruined his violin in his impatience to evoke a 

 single graceful step or motion; when, however, he con- 

 sented to dance to his own music, he never failed to bring 

 down thunders of applause. These efforts were con- 

 tinued for over a year, until he had realized a consider- 

 able sum. With this money in hand, supplemented by 

 what his wife could spare, he determined to seek his for- 

 tunes in the Old World. 



