CHAPTER IV. 



Audubon finds Generdeve unsuitable — Return Journey to Henderson' 

 ville — Terrible Adventure on the Prairie — Narrow Escape from 

 Assassination — The Shooting of Mason — Earthquakes in Ken- 

 tucky — A Frantic Doctor — Audubon Suffers from new Misfor- 

 tunes — Seventeen Thousand Dollars lost — Starts in Business at 

 Hendersonville^ and Succeeds — Erection of a Mill and Renewed 

 Misfortunes — Commences to draw Portraits — Engagement at 

 Cincinnati Museum. 



UDUBON soon discovered that Genevieve was 

 no pleasant place to live in. Its population 

 were mostly low-bred French Canadians, for 

 whose company, notwithstanding certain national sym- 

 pathies, he had no liking. He wearied to be back at 

 Hendersonville beside his young wife. Rosier got mar- 

 ried at Genevieve, and to him Audubon sold his interest 

 in the business. The naturalist purchased a horse, bade 

 adieu to his partner, to the society of Genevieve, and 

 started homeward across the country. During this jour- 

 ney Audubon met with a terrible adventure, and made a 

 miraculous escape from impending death. This episode 

 in Audubon's life is related by him in the following 

 words : — 



" On my return from the upper Mississippi, I found 

 myself obliged to cross one of the wild prairies, which, 

 in that portion of the United States, vary the appearance 

 of the country. The weather was fine, all around me 

 was as fresh and blooming as if it had just issued from 

 the bosom of nature. My knapsack, my gun, and my 

 dog were all I had for baggage and company. But, 



