THE GRAVE OF THE SILENT HUNTER. 209 
we can have our hunt out, and hear Uncle Jake’s story of this 
Bill Smith !” 
“Well, ’m agreed—but stop a few moments, Charlie. As 
I have risked a lynching to get a sight of the old hunter’s 
skull—I am -going to have a good look at it now before we 
go!” 
He uttered some exclamation of impatience, and sunk down 
upon the leaves again, when I was soon deep in the mystery 
of bumps. 
I marvelled at that head! The skull was of rather small 
size, and ran up at firmness almost to a cone—secreetiveness 
‘vas enormous, too, and destructiveness quite as excessive— 
but combativenéss was not large—adhesiveness, benevolence 
and conscienciousness remarkably large. Of acquisitiveness 
he seemed to have nothing scarcely, and of what is called 
human nature, a great deal. He had prominent language, yet 
one of his sobriquets was, the “Silent Indian killer!” Of 
casuality there was little—but comparison was large—the 
organs between the eyes were large—form, locality, &c. Phi- 
loprogenitiveness was the largest organ, except firmness! 
These were the hasty observations I had time to make 
before the impulsive hurry of my comrade compelled me to 
replace the skull. This was done with the most scrupulous 
care, in as exactly the position from which I had taken it as 
possible. The grave was also re-covered with the same care, 
and restored as nearly as I could get it to the condition in 
which I found it. We soon after mounted our horses, with 
the bear meat tied behind us, and set off rapidly on our return 
to town. During the whole ride I was thinking of this extra- 
ordinary head, and what had been no doubt its equally remark. 
able owner. What a man this must have been, and what a 
career !—for, obscure as it appeared to have been, it was 
evident from the awe and dread his very bones inspired in 
the mind of the simple hunter, that he must have possessed 
14 
