AUDUBON AND BOONE. 159 



cases, pushing back here and there the falling jars ; with so 

 little success, however, that before the shock was over, he had 

 lost nearly all he possessed. 



The shock at length ceased, and the frightened females, 

 now sensible of their dishabille, fled to their several apart- 

 ments. The earthquakes produced more serious consequences 

 in other places. Near New Madrid, and for some distance 

 on the Mississippi, the earth was rent asunder in several 

 places, one or two islands sunk forever, and the inhabitants 

 fled in dismay towards the eastern shores. 



Nor was it alone amidst the "elemental rack" that he thus 

 seemed to bear a charmed life. He was threatened with 

 another, and as stern danger, at the hand of the red man 

 once during his Western wanderings. This was, when return- 

 ing from the upper Mississippi, he was forced to cross one of 

 the wide prairies of that region. We must let him relate it 

 in part. Toward the dusk of the evening, wearied with an 

 interminable jaunt over the prairie, he approached a light 

 that feebly shone from the window of a log hut. He reached 

 the spot, and presenting himself at the door, asked a tall 

 figure of a woman, whether he might take shelter under her 

 roof. Her voice was gruff", and her dress carelessly thrown 

 about her person. She answered his question in the affirma- 

 tive, when he walked in, took a wooden stool, and quietly 

 seated himself by the fire. A finely formed young Indian, 

 his head resting between his hands, with his elbows on his 

 knees, was seated in the centre of the cabin. A long bow 

 stood against the wall, while a quantity of arrows and two or 

 three black raccoon skins lay at his feet. He moved not : 

 he apparently breathed not. Being addressed in French, he 

 raised his head, pointed to one of his eyes with his finger, 

 and gave a significant glance with the other. His face was 

 covered with blood. It appeared, that an hour before, in the 

 act of discharging an arrow at a raccoon, the arrow slipt upon 

 the cord, and sprang back with such violence into his right 



