THE GRAVE OF THE SILENT HUNTER. 205 
Old Bill Smith? Why uncle Jake know’d him well—he’s fit 
lnjuns with him many a time; everybody down in these parts 
know’d him!” 
‘No doubt, Jabe—but you say he’s buried under the big 
black oak ;—was he buried there of his own wish?” 
“In course !—they say he chose the place years before he 
died, and fixed the grave himself. Them as buried him say 
‘it’s a mighty curius sort o’ grave. He was one of Boone’s 
men, and so was uncle Jake,—and uncle Jake helped three 
more on ’em to bury him. There ’aint bin a livin’ soul be- 
longin’ round here since. He lived by himself more ’n two 
years, down by the big spring. That’s since I ken recollect. 
He never spoke to nobody but our uncle Jake, and we never 
seed him more ’n three times a year, when he com’d in to git 
the powder an’ lead uncle Jake had got for him.” 
“Now, Jabe,” said I, in my most wheedling tone, “ Jabe, 
my good fellow, won’t you show us the grave?” 
“T!—good !—why man, no!—not for all the money in 
your town!” 
“But, Jabe, you need only go near enough to show us the 
tree,—you will not be violating the command in doing that, 
yo? 
merely ! 
He still continued to shake his head, dubiously, in spite of 
our united entreaties, and mutter :— 
“Golly !—don’t like this here ridge, anyhow,—don’t think 
it’s safe,—wish hadn’t bin sich a dratted fool as to come this 
-way ;—forgot till I was most there !’”” 
But Charlie and I, in whom the spirit of mischief on his 
part, and earnest curiosity on mine, had now been thoroughly 
roused,—determined to give poor Jabe no time for considera- 
tion, and plied him on both sides with such eagerness, that 
after a considerable degree of wavering and hesitation, we at 
last brought him up to the sticking point by the application 
of a few shiners to his palm. He started, though still with 
visible trepidation, to lead us to the grave. I could scarcely 
