Spread of English-Speaking Peoples 165 



dwelt and hunted in primaeval mountain forests. 

 Then, early in June, the adventurers broke through 

 the interminable wastes of dim woodland, and stood 

 on the threshold of the beautiful blue-grass region 

 of Kentucky; a land of running waters, of groves 

 and glades, of prairies, cane-brakes, and stretches 

 of lofty forests. It was teeming with game. 

 The shaggy-maned herds of unwieldy buffalo the 

 bison as they should be called had beaten out broad 

 roads through the forest, and had furrowed the 

 prairies with trails along which they had traveled 

 for countless generations. The round-horned elk, 

 with spreading, massive antlers, the lordliest of the 

 deer tribe throughout the world, abounded, and like 

 the buffalo traveled in bands not only through the 

 woods, but also across the reaches of waving grass 

 land. The deer were extraordinarily numerous, and 

 so were bears, while wolves and panthers were plen- 

 tiful. Wherever there was a salt spring the country 

 was fairly thronged with wild beasts of many kinds. 

 For six months Boone and his companions enjoyed 

 such hunting as had hardly fallen to men of their 

 race since the Germans came out of the Hercynian 

 forest. 12 



In December, however, they were attacked by In- 



12 The Nibelung Lied tells of Siegfried's feats with bear, 

 buffalo, elk, wolf, and deer: 

 "Danach schlug er wieder einen Biiffel und einen Elk 



Vier starkes Auer nieder und einen grimmen Schelk, 



So schnell trug ihn die Mahre, dasz ihm nichts entsprang ; 



Hinden und Hirsche wurden viele sein Fang. 



ein Waldthier fiirchterlich, 



Einen wilden Baren." 

 Siegfried's elk was our moose ; and like the American f ron- 



