ALEXANDER WILSON. 
Ixxix 
diminutive wretch, soon began to let me know of how much conse- 
quence he had formerly been ; that he had gone through the war with 
General Washington — had become one of his life-guards — and 
had sent many a British soldier to his long home. As I answered 
him with indifference, to interest me the more, he began to detail 
anecdotes of his wonderful exploits. 4 One grenadier,’ said he, 
4 had the impudence to get on the works, and to wave his cap in 
defiance. My commander (General Washington, I suppose) says 
to me, Dick, says he, can’t you pepper that there fellow ? says 
he. Please your honour, says I, I’ll try at it; so I took a fair, 
cool, and steady aim, and touched my trigger ; up went his heels 
like a turkey ! down he tumbled ! One buckshot had entered here, 
and another here,’ (laying a finger on each breast,) 4 and the bullet 
found the way to his brains, right through his forehead.’ 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 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 pretence 
of habit, I sought for the softest plank, placed my trunk and great- 
coat at my head, and stretched myself there till morning. I set 
out early, and passed several arks. A number of Turkeys, 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 temptations, 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 heard the first 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 
