ALEXANDER WILSON. 
XCV 
a chair to the door, sat down, saying to Mrs Grinder, in a kind tone 
of voice, ‘ Madam, this is a very pleasant evening.’ He smoked 
for some time, but quitted his seat, and traversed the yard as 
before. He again sat down to his pipe, seemed again composed, 
and, casting his eyes wistfully towards the west, observed what a 
sweet evening it was. Mrs Grinder was preparing a bed for him ; 
but he said he would sleep on the floor, and desired the servants 
to bring the bear skins and buffalo robe, which were immediately 
spread out for him ; and, it being now dusk, the woman went off to 
the kitchen, and the two men to the barn, which stands about two 
hundred yards off. The kitchen is only a few paces from the room 
where Lewis was ; and the woman, being considerably alarmed by 
the behaviour of her guest, could not sleep, but listened to him 
walking backwards and forwards, she thinks, for several hours, and 
talking aloud, as she said, 4 like a lawyer.’ She then heard the 
report of a pistol, and something fall heavily on the floor, and the 
words, ‘ O Lord!’ Immediately afterwards she heard another 
pistol ; and, in a few minutes, she heard him at her door, calling 
out, 4 O Madam ! give me some water, and heal my wounds.’ The 
logs being open, and unplastered, she saw him stagger back, and 
fall against a stump that stands between the kitchen and the room. 
He crawled for some distance, raised himself by the side of a tree, 
where he sat about a minute. He once more got to the room ; 
afterwards, he came to the kitchen door, but did not speak ; she 
then heard him scraping the bucket with a gourd for water, but it 
appeared that this cooling element was denied the dying man ! As 
soon as day broke, and not before, the terror of the woman having 
permitted him to remain for two hours in this most deplorable 
situation, she sent two of her children to the barn, her husband 
not being at home, to bring the servants ; and, on going in, they 
found him lying on the bed. He uncovered his side, and shewed 
them where the bullet had entered ; a piece of the forehead was 
blown off, and had exposed the brains, without having bled much. 
He begged that they would take his rifle and blow out his brains, 
and he would give them all the money he had in his trunk. He 
often said, 4 1 am no coward ; but I am so strong — so hard to die !’ 
He begged the servant not to be afraid of him, for that he would 
not hurt him. He expired in about two hours, or just as the sun 
