CHAPTEE X. 



Rambles in Kentucky — A Gang of Woodcuttbes — Clever Workmen 

 — The Flight of the Thieves — Escape fbom Captueb — Migrations 

 iKTo THE Wilds of Kentucky — Ark Voyages on the Rivers — 

 Hazaeds from Indians — Rifle Shooting — Driving Nails with 

 Bullets — Daniel Boon " Barking Squibkbls" — Snuffing Candles. 



During his residence in Kentucky, Audubon spent all his leisure 

 time in rambles through the wilds in search of natural history 

 specimens. 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 abundant fare to 

 his homely table. Wild turkeys, deer, and bears, supplied con- 

 stant 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 woodcutters. 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 thousand 

 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 showed their excellent training, felling the 

 trees after the fashion of experienced woodmen. The daily and 



