90 IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



new bark when a great dispute arose in regard to a certain 

 boundary. It was agreed that the true boundary began 

 or ended with the ash-tree of three notches. But the tree 

 could not be found. 



The controversy lasted long. 



" Find us Boone's ash," said the backwoods judge, " and 

 the case will be settled." 



" I must find Captain Boone first/' said a lawyer. 



Captain Boone was found, and he revisited the place 

 of his short captivity. 



" That is the tree/' said he, pointing to a lofty ash. 

 " It has grown since then." 



" Prove it," said the lawyer. 



Captain Boone went to the tree and stripped off the 

 bark at a certain angle. Under the bark three notches 

 clearly appeared. 



The tree became known as " Boone's ash." 



In the early days of the pioneers there were earth- 

 quakes in the South, like the one that threw down Charles- 

 ton some years ago. But only the Indians and a few white 

 adventurers knew of them. In the year 1812 an earth- 

 quake made the earth tremble from Kentucky to the Mis- 

 sissippi River. Audubon, in clear, graphic language, repaid 

 Boone by a story of this earthquake. 



He said that he was riding on horseback when he heard 

 a sound as of a tornado, " on which," to use his own descrip- 

 tion as written out, " I spurred my steed, with a wish to 



