242 



AUDUBON 



" 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 intrusion 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 danger- 

 ous to my life; and I sulfered 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 

 exhibited. Two squaws and a few pappooses appeared 

 particularly 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 con- 

 triving some scheme which might enable me to give the 

 rascals the slip before dawn. The women immediately 

 fell a-searching about my hunting-shirt for whatever they 

 might think valuable, and, fortunately for me, soon found 

 my flask filled with monongahela (that is, reader, strong 

 whiskey). A terrific grin was exhibited on their murder- 



