LIFE OF WILSON. 
cxvii 
steady aim, and touched my trigger. Up went his heels like 
a turkey! down he tumbled! one buckshot had entered hert 
and another here, [laying a finger on each breast] and the bul- 
let found the way to his brains right through his forehead. By 
God he was a noble looking fellow!” Though I believed every 
word of this to be a lie, yet I could not but look with disgust 
on the being who uttered it. This same miscreant pronounced 
a long prayer before supper, and immediately after called out, 
in a splutter of oaths, for the pine splinters to be held to let 
the gentleman see. Such a farrago of lies, oaths, prayers, and 
politeness, put me in a good humour in spite of myself. The 
whole herd of this filthy kennel were in perpetual motion with 
the itch; so having procured a large fire to be made, under pre- 
tence of habit I sought for the softest plank, placed my trunk 
and great coat at my head, and stretched myself there till morn- 
ing. 1 set out early and passed several arks. A number of 
turkies which I observed from time to time on the Indiana 
shore, made me lose half the morning in search of them. On 
the Kentucky shore I was also decoyed by the same tempta- 
tions, but never could approach near enough to shoot one of 
them. These affairs detained me so, that I was dubious whether 
I should be able to reach Louisville that night. Night came 
on, and I could hear nothing of the Falls; about eight I first 
heard the roaring of the Rapids, and as it increased I was every 
moment in hopes of seeing the lights of Louisville; but no 
lights appeared, and the noise seemed now within less than 
half a mile of me. Seriously alarmed, lest I might be drawn 
into the suction of the Falls, I cautiously coasted along shore, 
which was full of snags and sawyers, and at length, with great 
satisfaction, opened Bear-Grass Creek, where I secured my 
skiff to a Kentucky boat, and loading myself with my bag- 
gage, I gi’oped my way through a swamp up to the town. 
The next day I sold my skiff for exactly half what it cost me; 
and the man who bought it wondered why I gave it such a 
droll Indian name, (the Ornithologist) “ some old chief or 
warrior I suppose,” said he. This day 1 walked down along 
