56 LirE OF AUDUBON. 



desperate attempt to run, but fell amongst the canes in such a 

 way that he was completely jammed. I could not refrain from 

 laughing at the ridiculous exhibition he made, but my gaiety 

 however was not very pleasing to the discomfited naturalist. 

 A thunder-storm with a deluge of rain completed our expe- 

 rience of the cane-brake, and my friend begged to be taken out. 

 This could only be accomplished by crawling in a serpentine 

 manner out of the jungle, from which the eccentric naturalist 

 was delighted to escape, perfectly overcome with fatigue and 

 fear. The eccentric was more than gratified with the exploit, 

 and soon after left my abode without explanation or farewell. 

 A letter of thanks, however, showed that he had enjoyed the 

 hospitality, and was not wanting in gratitude." 



In his Kentucky rambles Audubon had more than one oppor- 

 tunity of seeing and hunting with the famous Colonel Boone, the 

 Kentucky hunter, and hero of a multitude of desperate adven- 

 tures. On a particular occasion Boone spent a night under 

 Audubon's roof, and related some of his adventures, among 

 others, the following. On a hunting expedition in which Boone 

 was engaged, the wanderer was afraid of Indians, and he con- 

 sequently damped out his fire before falling asleep. He had 

 not lain long before strong hands were laid upon him, and he 

 was dragged off to the Indian camp. Avoiding, every semblance 

 of fear, Boone neither spoke nor resisted. The Indians ran- 

 saoked his pockets, found his whisky flask, and commenced to 

 drink from it. While so engaged a shot was fired, and the male 

 savages went off in pursuit, while the squaws M^ere left to watch 

 the prisoner. EoUing himself towards the fire, Boone burnt the 

 fastenings which bound him, sprang to his feet, and after hacking 

 three notches in an ash tree, afterwards known as "Boone's Ash," 

 fled from the neighbourhood. In years after an engineer in Ken- 

 tucky made the ash a point for a survey. A lawsuit arose out 

 of a boundary question, and the only chance of closing it was 

 by identifying " Boone's Ash." The hunter was sent for, and 

 after some searching he pointed out the tree, in which the 

 notches were detected after the bark had been peeled away. 

 Boone's extraordinary stature and colossal strength struck 

 Audubon as remarkable among a remarkable race ; and the 

 dreaded foe of the red man was notable for an honesty and 

 courage that could not be questioned, 



