LIFE OF WILSON. CXvii 



steady aim, and touched my trigger. Up went his heels like 

 a turkey ! down he tumbled ! one buckshot had entered here, 

 and another here, [laying a finger on each breast] and the bul- 

 let found the way to his brains right through his forehead. By 

 God he was a noble looking fellow!" Though I believed every 

 word of this to be a lie, yet I could not but look with disgust 

 on the being who uttered it. This same miscreant pronounced 

 a long prayer before supper, and immediately after called out, 

 in a splutter of oaths, for the pine splinters to be held to let 

 the gentleman see. Such a farrago of lies, oaths, prayers, and 

 politeness, put me in a good humour in spite of myself. The 

 whole herd of this filthy kennel were in perpetual motion with 

 the itch; so having procured a large fire to be made, under pre- 

 tence of habit I sought for the softest plank, placed my trunk 

 and great coat at my head, and stretched myself there till morn- 

 ing. I set out early and passed several arks. A number of 

 turkies which I observed from time to time on the Indiana 

 shore, made me lose half the morning in search of them. On 

 the Kentucky shore I was also decoyed by the same tempta- 

 tions, but never could approach near enough to shoot one of 

 them. These affairs detained me so, that I was dubious whether 

 I should be able to reach Louisville that night. Night came 

 on, and I could hear nothing of the Falls; about eight I first 

 heard the roaring of the Rapids, and as it increased I was every 

 moment in hopes of seeing the lights of Louisville; but no 

 lights appeared, and the noise seemed now within less than 

 half a mile of me. Seriously alarmed, lest I might be drawn 

 into the suction of the Falls, I cautiously coasted along shore, 

 which was full of snags and sawyers, and at length, with great 

 satisfaction, opened Bear-Grass Creek, where I secured my 

 skiff to a Kentucky boat, and loading myself with my bag- 

 gage, I groped my way through a swamp up to the town. 

 The next day I sold my skiff for exactly half what it cost me; 

 and the man who bought it wondered why I gave it such a 

 droll Indian name, (the Ornithologist) " some old chief or 

 warrior I suppose," said he. This day I walked down along 



