180 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



softest bed. When we liad both disposed of ourselves, each 

 after his own fashion, he related to me the following account 

 of his powers of memory, which I lay before you, kind reader, 

 in his own words, hoping that the simplicity of his style may 

 prove interesting to you. 



"I was once," said he, "on a hunting expedition on the 

 banks of the Green River, when the lower parts of this State 

 (Kentucky) were still in the hands of nature, and none but 

 the sons of the soil were looked upon as its lawful proprietors. 

 We Virginians had for some time been waging a war of intru- 

 sion upon them, and I, amongst the rest, rambled through 

 the woods in pursuit of their race, as I now would follow the 

 tracks of any ravenous animal. The Indians outwitted me 

 one dark night, and I was as unexpectedly as suddenly made 

 a prisoner by them. The trick had been managed with great 

 skill ; for no sooner had I extinguished the fire of my camp, 

 and laid me down to rest, in full security, as I thought, than 

 I felt myself seized by an indistinguishable number of hands, 

 and was immediately pinioned, as if about to be led to the 

 scaffold for execution. To have attempted to be refractory, 

 would have proved useless and dangerous to my life ; and I 

 suffered myself to be removed from my camp to theirs, a few 

 miles distant, without uttering even a word of complaint. 

 You are aware, I dare say, that to act in this manner was 

 the best policy, as you understand that by so doing, I proved 

 to the Indians at once, that I was born and bred as fearless 

 of death as any of themselves. 



" When we reached the camp, great rejoicings were ex- 

 hibited. Two squaws and a few papooses appeared particu- 

 larly delighted at the sight of me, and I was assured, by very 

 unequivocal gestures and words, that, on the morrow, the 

 mortal enemy of the Red-skins would cease to live. I never 

 opened my lips, but was busy contriving some scheme which 

 might enable me to give the rascals the slip before dawn. 

 The women immediately fell a searching about my hunting- 



