THE GRAVE OF THE SILENT HUNTER. 205 



Old Bill Smith ? Why uncle Jake know'd him well he's fit 

 Injuns with him many a time ; everybody down in these parts 

 know'd him !" 



" No doubt, Jabe but you say he's buried under the big 

 black oak; was he buried there of his own wish?" 



" In course ! they say he chose the place years before he 

 died, and fixed the grave himself. Them as buried him say 

 it's a mighty curius sort o' grave. He was one of Boone's 

 men, and so was uncle Jake, and uncle Jake helped three 

 more on 'em to bury him. There 'aint bin a livin' soul be- 

 longin' round here since. He lived by himself more 'n two 

 years, down by the big spring. That's since I ken recollect. 

 He never spoke to nobody but our uncle Jake, and we never 

 seed him more 'n three times a year, when he com'd in to git 

 the powder an' lead uncle Jake had got for him." 



" Now, Jabe," said I, in my most wheedling tone, " Jabe, 

 my good fellow, won't you show us the grave ?" 



" I ! good ! why man, no ! not for all the money in 

 your town !" 



" But, Jabe, you need only go near enough to show us the 

 tree, you will not be violating the command in doing that, 

 merely !" 



He still continued to shake his head, dubiously, in spite of 

 our united entreaties, and mutter : 



" Golly ! don't like this here ridge, anyhow, don't think 

 it's safe, wish hadn't bin sich a dratted fool as to come this 

 way ; forgot till I was most there !" 



But Charlie and I, in whom the spirit of mischief on his 

 part, and earnest curiosity on mine, had now been thoroughly 

 roused, determined to give poor Jabe no time for considera- 

 tion, and plied him on both sides with such eagerness, that 

 after a considerable degree of wavering and hesitation, we at 

 last brought him up to the sticking point by the application 

 of a few shiners to his palm. He started, though still with 

 visible trepidation, to lead us to the grave. I could scarcely 



