CHAPTER YII 



A HERBMAN OF SINGLE SIGHT WHO WAS LAUGHED AT THE 



HERB DOCTOR 



THE Pioneers of Science in America, published in 1896, 

 has done justice to a most remarkable man who came to 

 meet Audubon in a queer way indeed, while Audubon was 

 living in Kentucky. After the manner that Audubon 

 trained his eye to discover new birds and new habits of 

 birds, this man educated himself to find new plants. To 

 find a new medicinal herb filled him with such delight that 

 he would leap about with the simplicity of a monkey or 

 a boy. 



As Audubon was wandering one day along a river, peer- 

 ing into the boughs for birds, he suddenly beheld this curi- 

 ous-looking man landing from a boat with a great bundle 

 of herbs on his back. He stopped to wonder at the herb- 

 man, when the latter ran toward him, saying: 



" Say, good man, can you direct me to the house of 

 Mr. Audubon? He studies birds; I study plants; we both 

 love nature." 



" I am Mr. Audubon probably the man whom you 



seek. I will lead you to my house." 



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