mm i^rl ^'^^^5 



CHAPTER V. 



Rambles in Kentucky — Migrations into the IVilJs of Kentucky — Rifit 

 Shooting — Driving Nails with Bullets — Daniel Boone " Bark- 

 ing Squirrels " — Festivities on Beargrass Creek — Wild Scenes in 

 the Woods — Hunting the Racoon — Visit from the Eccentric Nat- 

 uralist, Rafinesquc — Daniel Boone, the Famous ILDiter. 



jjURING his residence in Kentucky, Audubon 

 spent all his leisure time in rambles through 

 the wilds in search of natural history speci- 

 mens. A variety of amusing incidents occurred in these 

 travels, and the wanderer has given several of these in a 

 full and connected form. His ready gun supplied abun- 

 dant fare to his homely table. Wild turkeys, deer, and 

 bears supplied constant wants, after a fashion that suited 

 the hunter well. While resident there, a flat-boat reached 

 the shore, containing ten or twelve stout fellows with their 

 wives, and declaring themselves to be " Yankees," asked 

 for work as wood cutters. Audubon, thinking that the 

 boat contained wheat, held parley with the occupants, 

 and finding that they were " likely " fellows, proposed to 

 engage them to cut down a government lot of one thou- 

 sand two hundred acres of fine timber he had purchased. 

 The wood cutters made fast their craft to the bank, started 

 a camp on shore, and, with their wives, managed to cook 

 their meals out of the game supplied by the forest. 

 Audubon and his miller visited the camp in the morning, 

 was rather pleased with the appearance of the fellows, 

 and engaged the gang. Commencing work, they soon 



