928 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
always came back with some of their number missing. They 
had never been able to overtake, or even to approach the 
mysterious and terrible Medicine Spirit. 
After this report got abroad, men began to mention the 
name of Bill Smith again—but it was with a feeling of unac- 
countable dread, and in low voices that they spoke. The 
timidity and uncertain movements of desultory attack which 
began to characterize the warfare of the Shawanees, once the 
best organized and most formidable of the tribes, came now 
to attract attention, too. But all conjecture was set to rest, 
when, after awhile, Smith was seen to make his appear- 
ance at the Forts occasionally—but this was only when the 
Shawanees were known to be engaged ina foray. He usually 
came in ahead of the Indians, or after some unaccountable 
fashion, suddenly appeared in the midst of a battle with them. 
He was at the Blue Lick, at the Raisin, threw himself into 
Brian’s Fort when it was stormed; and, indeed, he was known 
to have been in nearly all the principal battles in which 
Boone was present. 
He was never heard to speak to any one—he came without 
a greeting and went without farewell. He was regarded with 
a curious feeling of dread and respect by the Border people, 
none of whom ever ventured to address a word to him, The 
Shawanees were driven first across the Kan-tuck-ee River, 
then across the Green River. 
Bill Smith disappeared, and never crossed Green River 
again; they thought towards the North that he must finally 
have fallen a sacrifice to his monomania of vengeance. It 
will be remembered by what accident I found his grave, and 
heard from old Uncle Jake Latham something with regard to 
his latter years. 
After seeing the last canoe of the Shawanees lauriched 
upon the Ohio, and sending a death-messenger in farewell 
after it, the old man had built him a hut in the most inacces- 
sible part of the Green River Hills, and there the remainder 
