146 FORTY- FOUR YEARS OF 



bear on one of Col. Lynn's hogs. He lay on the ground 

 in the same manner that the other did. Getting a fair 

 view of his head, his nose being toward me, I aimed a little 

 above his eyes, and let drive at him. Down fell his head, 

 and I went to him ; but having run from the house, I had 

 left my knife behind ; though, as he lay still, and I saw 

 the bullet hole in his forehead, I was sure he was dead. 

 Presently he began to wink his eyes, and as I commenced 

 reloading, up he bounded, and made off. He ran till he 

 butted himself against a tree, when he fell clear over, with 

 his head toward me. He raised quickly, and came run- 

 ning back to me as straight as he could come, till he got 

 very near me, when he turned a little, and I shot him 

 through the body, killing him. 



This story seems strange, and, without some explana- 

 tion, might be thought untrue. It is my opinion that the 

 first ball glanced on his skull, the bone of which was blut 

 with the lead, and when he butted the tree, he was not 

 sensible that he had turned a somerset, but thought he was 

 running in the direction he first started to go. I exa- 

 mined the skull, and found that his head had been raised 

 up high enough to bring his skull in a slanting position 

 with the course of the ball, which did not enter it, but so 

 stunned him that he did not know what he was doing ; 

 and when his head was turned, he ran any way which 

 seemed the most likely one for escape. 



About this time my step-father and my mother, who 

 lived in Ohio, came to visit us. After staying a month or 

 two, during which time they had been persuading me io 

 Bell out and go with them to Ohio, I at length agreed to 

 do so. Accordingly I sold all my cattle, twelve in num- 

 ber, six hogs, and such other things as I could not take 

 with me, to Dr. Brooke, for the sum of one hundred and 

 seventy-five dollars, bargaining to receive the money when 

 { was ready to start. I had five head of horses, two of 



