xt77d7957d8r https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt77d7957d8r/data/mets.xml Hall, James, 1793-1868. 1845  books b92ps1799h16k4601845v22009 English A.K. Newman and Co. : London Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Harpe s Head, a tale. text Harpe s Head, a tale. 1845 2009 true xt77d7957d8r section xt77d7957d8r 
  
  
  
  
KENTUCKY.

A TALE.

BY

JAMES

HALL.

IN

TWO

VOLUMES.

VOL. II.
S ECOND E DITION.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR A. K. NEWMAN A N D CO.

1 845.

  
  
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C H A P . I. A T t he close o f a fine autumn day, a s olitary t raveller found himself bewildered among the labyrinths of the forest,near t he shores o f the Ohio. H e had taken his d eparture early i n the morning from the c abin of a hunter, to w hose h ospitality he had b een i ndebted for his last night's l odging and supper   if that deserves t he name of hospitality, which consisted o f l ittle m ore t han a permission to spread h is b lanket, and eat his provisions, by t he w oodsman's f ire: we c all i t so, because i t was granted in a s pirit o f k i n d ness. W h e n he parted from his host i n V O L . I I. B t he

  
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t he morning, he learned that the settlement to which he was destined was fiftymiles d istant, and he spurred onward, i n t he confident h ope o f reaching his j ourney's end ere the setting i n of night. B efore the day was half spent, he began t o suspect that he had taken the wrong p a t h ; b ut u n w i l l i n g to retrace his steps, he s till p ushed on, in the expectation of m eeting w ith some h uman habitation, f rom which he could take a new departure. I t w as, as we have before r emarked, f orty years ago, and this country was s till a w ilderness. T h e Indian tribes h ad been driven to the opposite shore of t he Ohio, but continued to revisit their a ncient hunting-grounds, sometimes i n peace, b ut oftener impelled to war by t heir i nsatiable appetite for plunder and r evenge. S mall c olonies were t h i n ly s cattered throughout the whole of t his r egion, maintaining themselves by c onstant

  
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c onstant watchfulness and courage, and e very here and there a station   a r ude b lock-house, surrounded w ith p alisades, afforded shelter to the traveller, and refuge, in time of danger, to all w ithin i ts r each. Between these settlements, extensive tracts remained uninhabited and pathless, blooming in all the native l u x uriance and savage grace which had c aptivated the heart of their earliest admirer a mong the whites, the fearless and e nterprising B oon. O n t he same evening, M r . T i m o t h y J enkins, t he sole p roprietor, occupant, a nd c ommander, of " J e n k i n s ' Station," m ight be seen alternately p l y i n g his axe, w ith a s kill a nd vigour of which a backwoodsman alone is master, and shoulderi n g h uge l ogs o f wood, under the burthen o f which, any other sinews than s uch as were accustomed to the labour, w ould have been rent asunder. It was e vident that captain Jenkins was prepaB2 r ing

  
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r i n g f or a vigorous d efence o f his g arrison, against an enemy of no mean i m portance, and was determined to guard a gainst the inroads of a frost, by b u i l d i n g a l og-heap in his fire-place. That the l atter was of no ordinary dimensions, m ight h ave been readily inferred from t he quantity of fuel required to fill i t ; f or T i m o t h y , l ike a t rue K e n t u c k i a n , n ever considered his fire made, u ntil t he h earth was stowed f ull o f the largest l ogs w hich h is herculean limbs enabled h i m t o carry. A n unpractised observer might h ave supposed that he was l a y i n g i n a s upply of fuel for the winter, when the h ospitable landlord was only performing a d aily labour. A n d here it is necessary to inform those who have not enjoyed t he l u x u r y of reposing in a cabin, that t he fire-place is generally about eight f eet i n w i d t h , and four or five in depth, so as t o contain conveniently about a quarter o f a cord of wood, which quantity produces

  
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duces a c heerful warmth, the more necessary, as the doors are left standing o pen. H a v i n g p erformed this duty, captain J enkins t hrew down his axe, w i t h t he a ir o f one greatly relieved by having g otten f airly t hrough a disagreeable j o b ; a nd r elaxing into the ordinary indolence o f manner, from which the momentary s timulus o f necessary exertion had a roused h i m , sauntered round his enclosure, w i t h o ne of his hard bony hands s tuffed i n either pocket. Perceiving t hat an aperture had been made i n the o utworks by the removal of one or two o f his pickets, which had rotted off, and f allen t o the ground, he p roceeded t o close t he breach.   '". T h e y are of no use, n o how," said the captain ; " the Indians h ave not paid me a v isit these eighteen m onths, and may never c ome b ack. It seems r ight hard to be at the trouble of b arricading t hem out, when they don't B3 t ry

  
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t ry t o get i n ; b ut, h owsever," he c ontinued, as he r aised t he p rostrate timbers, a nd p ropped them i n t heir places, " I ' l l p ut t he wooden sogers o n p ost a gain, i f i t's o nly f or a s h o w ; they keep the h ogs a nd w i l d varments o u t ; a nd i f a n inemy s hould c ome, i t w i l l sort o' p uzzle ' em t o find o ut the w eak place." H a v i n g t hus c ompromised w i t h h is indolence, he s topped t he b reach, i n s uch a m anner as h ave deceived t he eye of a h asty o bserver, a nd r eturned t o the h ouse, hastened b y t he s ound o f l oud t alking a nd m irth w hich p roceeded f rom h is g uests. T h e fortress popularly k n o w n as " J e n kins' S tation," consisted simply o f a c ircular e nclosure, formed b y a p icketing, c omposed o f l ong sticks o f t imber planted firmly i n the g round, and was intended t o p rotect t he d omicile o f h onest T i mothy against a s udden o nset o f t he I n dians. A t t hat period, every farmer w ho ventured t o p itch h is t ent i n advance

  
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v ance o f the s ettlements, fortified h is house i n t his manner; others, w ho f ollowed, settled around h i m , and s ought s helter i n the station u pon a ny s udden e mergency. T h u s these places, although p rivate p ropert) , partook o f the n ature o f public defences, a nd b ecame w idely k n o w n ; a nd t ravellers made their w ay f rom o ne s tation t o a nother, so t hat they also b ecame houses o f e ntertainment; a nd those o f the o wners o f t hem w ho w ould accept p ay f rom wayfaring persons, were, i n a m anner, forced into t he b usiness o f t avern-keepers. T h e p roprietor moreover b ecame a captain b y c ommon consent, because, as the p eople g athered here i n t ime o f d anger, a nd i t was n atural t hat he s hould command i n h is o wn house, that office f ell t o h i m d uring a siege, a nd, of c ourse, pertained t o h i m t hrough l i f e : a nd such is the l ove o f m ilitary t itles among a p eople w ho are mostly descended from warlike a n B 4> cestors,
r

  
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cestors, that however the i ndividual t hus h onoured may be afterwards distinguished, though he may b ecome a l egislator, o r even a magistrate, his m ilitary d esignation is seldom merged in any other. T h e dwelling of captain J e n k i n s was c omposed o f two log-houses, covered u nder the same roof, so as to leave a w ide passage between them, after the m ost approved fashion of a K e n t u c k y l og-cabin. R o u n d the fire-place, which o ccupied nearly the whole gable-end of t he house, sat five or six men, recently d ismounted from their horses, who were c ompensating themselves for the fatigue a nd a bstinence of a day's travel, from the c ontents of a bottle which was circulating r apidly among them. " C ome on, T i m J e n k i n s , " said one o f them to the landlord, as he entered, *' step forrard, a nd touch the blue b ottle to your l ips. Y o u r whiskey is as g ood as your fire, and that is saying a g reat

  
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a g reat deal, for you are the severest old beaver t o tote w ood t hat I've seen for m any a long day." " I l ike t o warm my friends inside as w ell as out, when they c all o n me," rejoined J e n k i n s ; ". the nights are getting p owerful cold, and they say it's not g ood f or a man to lie down to sleep w i t h a c hill i n his blood." " I say so too," said the other: " I d on't k n o w what cold is g ood for, except t o give a man an appetite for his l iquor " " O r long nights," continued the host, " b ut to get sober i n ; so here's g ood l uck t o y o u , M r . Patterson, and to y o u , g entlemen, a l l . " A t t his moment the attention of the c ompany was arrested by a loud " hallo !" u ttered w ithout, and M r . Jenkins hastened to receive a new guest. H e soon r eturned, i ntroducing a y o u n g gentleman o f a very prepossessing appearance, E5 w hose

  
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w hose dress and manners announced h i m as an inhabitant of a more polished c ountry than that i n which he found h imself. I t was our friend, M r . George L e e , w ho having been lost i n the forest, as we have seen, had continued to g rope h is way i n great perplexity, u n t i l h e chanced to f all i nto a path which led h i m t o the " Station." B o w i n g cheerfully t o the rough sons o f the forest, as they greeted him w ith t he u s u a l     " H o w d'ye do, stranger ?" he seated h imself, and began to throw off his s purs, l eggins, gloves, and other t ravelling a ccoutrements, while Patterson a nd h is companions, after a passing g lance, resumed their bottle and their m irth. T i r e d a nd cold, M r . L e e drew his c hair t owards the fire, and remained for a t ime solely occupied i n the enjoyment of its comfortable warmth. P a t terson sat by the table, replenishing h is

  
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h is glass, and pressing his c ompanions t o d rink, t alking a ll the while i n a loud a nd overbearing t one, a nd growing m ore a nd m ore b oisterous, u n t i l t he a nnoyance a wakened M r . L e e from a k i n d o f stupor that was creeping o ver him. H e raised his head, and discovered the eyes o f one of the party fixed u pon h i m , w ith a g aze so eager, a nd so malignant, as to attract his own i n stant attention. T h e man, w hose c ountenance d isplayed nothing remarkable, e xcept a f erocity unmingled w i t h t he least touch of human feeling, no sooner c aught the eye of the y o u n g traveller, t han he drew back, as i f to avoid observation. M r . G eorge L e e was a y o u n g gentleman by no means r emarkable for penetration ; but he was bold and manly, h ad mixed w ith t he world m ore t han m ost persons o f his years, and had a t olerable faculty of k n o w i n g men by B6 t heir

  
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t heir l ooks   a faculty which by no m eans evinces a high d egree o f i ntellect, but more frequently is found i n o rdinary m inds. H e looked round upon t he company into which he had been a ccidentally t hrown, and for the first t ime h is eye rested upon the savage features of Patterson. T h e latter was a large stout man, evidently e ndued w ith m ore than common s trength. T here was a considerable degree o f sagacity in his countenance, and h is s trong peculiar language seemed to be that of one accustomed to think and speak without constraint. H i s bloodshot eye and bloated s kin b etokened h abitual i ntemperance; the fierce and remorseless expression of his face was r endered more terrific, by a large scar o n his forehead, and another on his c heek, while the whole appearance of t he man was bold, impudent, and abandoned, H e possessed, or, what was m ore

  
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m ore l ikely, a ffected, joviality and h u mour, continually pressing his companions to d rink, a nd g i v i n g to every remark a s trangely extravagant and o r i ginal t urn, w hich always created laughter. A n o t h e r peculiarity was the loudness of his coarse v oice; partly from h abit, p artly out of an assumed frankness, and an affectation of not caring w ho heard h i m , and partly to produce a n i mpression of his superiority upon those around h i m , he always spoke as l oud, e ven in a small room, as another p erson would in haranguing a m u l t i tude. B u t when intoxicated, this peculiarity b ecame v ery s t r i k i n g ; t hen he b ellowed and roared, uttering his sentiments w ith a n astonishing energy of l anguage, and a horrible profusion of t he most terrific oaths, i n a v oice n aturally l oud, and now pitched to its h i g h est and harshest note, and w i t h a w onderful v ehemence o f gesture. T h i s characteristic

  
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r acteristic h ad gained for h i m the n i c k name of " R o a r i n g Bob," by which lie was as w ell k n o w n as by his proper c hristian a nd surnames. O u r f riend, George L e e , who had never before seen a man whose presence e xcited so much disgust, turned from h i m , a nd looked round upon his associates. T h e y were a villanous and ruffian set, who seemed fit instruments to p erpetrate any crime, however base or b loody. There was one person present, h owever, whose countenance drew his r egard t he more forcibly, from the contrast i t presented w i t h t hose around. I t was that of a y o u n g man, whose p lacid f eatures, and neat, though coarse dress, indicated an acquaintance w i t h t he decencies of social l ife. T here was a f ine expression of ingenuousness in h is face, and his clear blue eye sparkled w i t h v ivacity and intelligence. He seemed to be under s ome c onstraint, for a lthough

  
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a lthough a ddressed by the party as an a cquaintance, his answers were brief; a nd w hile he treated them w i t h c i v i l i t y , h e appeared to be not disposed to j o i n t heir c onversation or share their m irth. A t a n early hour, a plentiful supper was spread, to which the whole of this i ll-assorted p arty sat d o w n ; and i m m e diately after, M r . L e e , pleading fatigue, r etired t o repose. A w eary traveller needs n o p oppies s trewn u pon his pillow, " to medicine h i m t o that s weet s leep" which is the r eward o f t o i l ; a nd on this occasion, a l though the imagination of our friend G eorge, never very active, was considerably e xcited by the novel scenes he had j ust witnessed, his reflections were soon d rowned i n forgetfulness. H e had not s lept long, when his slumber was suddenly broken by a cold hand, which g rasped h i m by the shoulder. He s tarted u p i n alarm, and was about to s peak,

  
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s peak, but was prevented by a v oice a ddressing h im in a f irm b ut hurried tone, so low as to be barely a u d i b l e     " D o n ot speak   you are in danger   rise and f ollow m e   be q uick and silent!" T h e f irst i mpulse of the traveller's mind was d istrust t owards his mysterious visiter, f or w hose secret warning he could not r eadily p erceive any rational g r o u n d ; b ut as he p roceeded m echanically to o bey t he mandate, his generous nature, n ot easily awakened to suspicion, repelled t he hasty suggestion of doubt, a nd i nduced h i m to follow his guide w ith c onfidence. T h e latter, again cautioning h im to silence, led the way to t he open air, and proceeding under the s hadow of the house, to an aperture i n t he stockade, passed out of the inclosure, a nd hastily penetrated into the forest. M r . L e e pursued the r apid, b ut noiseless footsteps o f his conductor, a mazed at the suddenness of the adventure,

  
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t ure, a nd perplexed w ith h is own endeavours to guess i ts probable cause or i ssue. It w i l l be readily imagined that h is c onjectures could lead to no satisfactory conclusion, and that his s ituation   decoyed into the solitude and d arkness of the forest by a stranger, perhaps one of those w hose f elon glances h ad a ttracted his attention   was such as t o have created alarm i n the stoutest h eart. Y e t there is something i n every y o u n g and chivalric bosom, which w e l comes d anger when it assumes an air of r omance ; and George L e e , while internally b laming his own imprudence, w hich seemed to be leading h i m from a f ancied to a real danger, could not resist t he curiosity which he felt to d evelope t he mystery, nor resolve to abandon an a dventure which promised at least novelty. H i s uncertainty was of short d uration ; f or his guide, after a few m i nutes' rapid w a l k i n g , emerged into an o pen

  
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o pen clearing, and h a l t e d ; and as he s tood exposed i n the clear moonlight, M r . L e e had no difficulty i n recognisi n g t he y o u n g forester, w hose p repossessing appearance he had remarked as a ffording so strong a contrast to the suspicious looks and b rutal m anners of his associates. P o i n t i n g t o a ruined cabin near which t hey stood   " I t is fortunate for y o u , s ir," s aid the guide, " that our landlord's stable w i t h i n t he stockade was f illed before y o u arrived, and that your g ood n ag was sent to his sorry roof for s helter." " I s hall be better able to appreciate m y g ood f ortune," said L e e , endeavouri n g t o imitate the composure w i t h w hich t he other had spoken, " when I learn i n w hat manner I am to be benefited by t he bad lodging of m y horse." " B y the badness of his lodging, nothing," s aid the other; " by its privacy, m uch ; to be brief, you must fly." " Fly!

  
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" F l y ! when   how ?" " N o w ; upon your horse, unless you prefer s ome o ther m ode o f t ravelling." " F l y !" repeated M r . L e e , incredulously, " f rom what ?" " F r o m danger   pressing and i m m e diate d anger." T h e y o u n g traveller stood for a moment irresolute, gazing at the placid features of the backwoodsman, as i f endeavouring t o dive into his thoughts. H i s e mbarrassed air, and suspicious g lance, did not escape t he forester, who i n q u i r e d     " A r e y o u satisfied ? Will y ou confide i n me ?" " I c annot choose b ut trust y o u     a n d t here is that in your countenance which t ells m e m y confidence w i l l n ot be misplaced ; I only hesitated under the suspicion t hat I was to be made the subject o f some i dle jest." " I h ave been too f amiliar w i t h d anger," said the other, " to consider it a fit s ubject

  
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s ubject for pleasantry. H a d you looked d eath i n the face as often as I have d one, y o u would have learned to recognise t he warning v oice o f a friend who tells y ou of its approach." " E n o u g h , " replied L e e ; " pardon m y h asty s uspicion, and let me k n o w what has excited your apprehensions for m y s afety." " F i r s t l et us saddle your horse   we d elay here too long." So saying, the y o u n g woodsman hastened into the cabin, a nd w i t h M r . Lee's assistance equipped the gallant steed, whom they found s ounding his nostrils over a f ull t rough, w i t h a v igour which announced as w ell t he keenness of his appetite as the excellence of his f ood. " Y o u r nag has a g ood s tomach for h is c orn," said the backwoodsman, leadi n g h i m out into the m o o n l i g h t ; " and i f h e does n ot belie his looks, he travels as w ell as he f eeds;" a nd without waiting

  
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i n g for a reply, he threw the bridle over t he animal's neck, and r eturning i nto t he cabin, produced the b aggage, g reatcoat, and other equipments of L e e , who, n ow more t han e ver astonished at the c onduct of his companion, prepared i n s ilence for his journey. " A r e you ready ?" s aid t he forester. " I a m ready." " T h e n mount, and follow me." T h e g uide struck into the w oods, a nd p roceeding w ith t he same noiseless steps w hich L e e had before r emarked, strode f orward, w ith a r apidity t o which neither t he darkness of the forest, nor the thick u ndergrowth o f tangled bushes, seemed t o present any obstacle. T h e y p roceeded in silence, the horse f ollowing i nstinctively t he footsteps of t he forester, u n t i l t he l atter, s triking i nto a h ard f ootpath, halted, and advancing t o the horseman's side, placed his h and o n the p u m m e l of the saddle.    " With

  
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" W i t h c ommon prudence, you are now safe," said he ; and, after a moment's hesitation, he continued, i n a low rapid t o n e     " Those scoundrels i n the house h ave l aid a p lan to rob and murder y ou !" " I s i t possible ? Can they be such base " " I t is t r u e     I have not alarmed you o n bare suspicion. I overheard their p lan ; a nd k n o w i n g the men, I was satisfied t hat you could save your life only b y flight." " B u t our landlord   surely he is not p rivy t o their design ?" " H e is not." " W h y then should I fly ? I f he and y ourself w i l l s tand by me, I could defy a r egiment of such fellows!" " Y o u do not know your danger   to r eturn w ould be madness! Jenkins, t hough an honest, is a t i m i d m a n ; as for m yself, I would cheerfully aid y o u , but c ircum-

  
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c ircumstances forbid that I should embroil m yself with t hose m en at present. B esides, you cannot remain at the station a lways, and your departure can n ever be effected w ith such safety as n ow, before t he e nemy i s on the alert. F arewell   keep that path, and you are safe." S o saying, he disappeared, and o ur traveller, w i t h a heavy heart, resumed his journey. I f M r . L e e had found his situation p erplexing on the preceding day, while w andering in uncertainty through the forest, it was certainly m ore so now, w hen surrounded by the g loom o f night. U n a b l e to see the way, he was obliged t o trust entirely to the instinct of his h orse, who kept the path w i t h surprising s agacity. Sometimes he found h imself descending into a ravine, s ometimes the splashing of water announced t hat he was crossing a rivulet, and s ometimes a b ough o verhanging the path w ould

  
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w ould nearly s weep h i m from his seat; b ut he continued to m ove c autiously a long, satisfied that he could encounter n o danger more pressing than that from w hich he had escaped. H e was aware t hat t he outlaw is often found on the e xtreme frontier of our country, perpetrating deeds o f violence and fraud, beyond the reach of the c ivil a uthority. I n those distant settlements, and at the e arly p eriod of which we write, the i n habitants, t hinly s cattered, were f ully o ccupied i n providing for their own defence a nd sustenance, and the wholesome r estraints of law, i f they existed, w ere but feebly enforced. A t such p oints, gangs of ruffians would s ometimes collect, and for a time elude, or o penly defy, the arm of justice. Carefully a voiding to give offence t o their o wn immediate neighbours, and s triking o nly at a distance, they for a time escaped detection. T h e honest settler, s imple

  
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s imple and primitive i n all his habits, u n w i l l i n g t o meddle w ith l aws which he l ittle u nderstood, endured the e vil so l ong as the peace o f his own comm u n i t y r emained undisturbed ; u ntil r oused at last by s ome d aring act of v iolence, he hunted down the felon, as h e would have chased the panther. T hat P atterson and his associates belonged to that class of marauders, M r . L e e had l ittle d o u b t ; and he judged c orrectly, that i f they had really marked him out as their prey, he could only be protected by a f orce s uperior to their o wn. O ccupied w i t h s uch reflections, he c ontinued to g rope h is way, u ntil he s upposed the night must be nearly exhausted. T h e moon, w hose beams had o ccasionally reached him through the s hadows of the forest, had g one d own, a nd t he darkness was quite impenetrable. H e stopped often, t u r n i n g his eyes
V OL . i r .

c

in

  
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i n e very direction, to discover the first b eam of the morning. Never did night a ppear so long   he counted hour after h our i n his i m a g i n a t i o n     u n t i l his i m patience b ecame i nsupportable. T h e silence of the forest, so long continued a nd so deathlike, b ecame p ainfully distressing; b ut when it was suddenly broken b y the savage howl of the wolf, or t he fearful screaming of the owl, the t raveller i nvoluntarily started, and Was n ot ashamed to acknowledge a t hrillingsense o f danger. E v e n now, the panther m ight be silently crawling along h is t rack, watching for a favourable opportunity t o spring upon his prey, the h ungry w olf might be scenting his approach, or the Indian crouching in his p ath. W earied w ith c onjecture, a feverish e xcitement t ook possession of his f rame, and he thought he could cheerfully e ncounter any p eril, r ather than be t hus t ortured w ith d arkness and suspense.

  
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pense. B o d i l y fatigue was added to his s ufferings, and at length he dismounted t o seek a m omentary relief by c hange o f p osture, and threw h imself o n the ground a t the r oot o f a tree, holding his bridle i n h is hand; and the vividness of his sensations subsiding with the inaction o f his frame, he was unconsciously overcome b y sleep. W h e n M r . G eorge L e e awoke, the m orning was far advanced. T h e bridle h ad f allen from his hand, and his horse was grazing quietly near H i m : stiff, and a ching with cold, he remounted, and p ursued his journey. T h e road, i f such i t c ould be called, was no other than a n arrow path, w i n d i n g through the forest, of sufficient width to admit the passage o nly of a single horseman. P u r suing t he c ourse o f a natural ridge, the t raveller passed through a h illy r egion, c lothed with oak and hickory trees, an t hichly set with an undergrowth of hac2 zel-

  
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z el-bushes and grape-vines; often halti n g t o seek t he path which was concealed by the i ntertwining b rush, or covered w i t h f allen leaves, and sometimes delayi n g t o gather the nuts and f ruit, w hich offered their luxuries in abundance; t hence descending into the r ich a lluvion f lats, h is way led through g roves o f c otton-trees and sycamore, w hose g igantic t runks, a scending to an immense height, w ere surmounted w i t h l ong branches, so closely interwoven as almost to exclude the light of heaven. Sometimes t he graceful cane skirted his path, and h e waded heavily through the tangled b rake, e mbarrassed by the numerous t racks beaten by the w i l d g razing a nimals, w ho resort to such spots, or alarmed by the appearance of beasts of prey, w ho l urk i n these gloomy coverts. A l ternately d elighted w ith t he beauties of n ature, o r chilled by the dreary solitude o f the wilderness, our traveller passed r apidly

  
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r apidly o n, sometimes enjoying those a bsorbing reveries i n which young minds are apt to revel, and sometimes i n d u l g ing t he apprehensions which his s ituation was calculated to excite. F o r the bear, the wolf, and the panther, s till l urked i n these solitudes, and the more d angerous Indian yet claimed them as his h eritage. T h e sun was s inking t owards the western h orizon, when he reached the broken c ountry bordering on the Ohio. H i s h eart, w hich had been saddened by the m onotonous gloom of interminable flats, a nd t he intricacy of miry brakes, was c heered as the h ills rose n pon his view, a nd h is f aithful horse moved w ith r enewed vigour, when his h oof s truck the f irm s oil. S till, t he apprehension of approaching n ight was not without its terror. T h e backwoodsman alone, accustomed t o such scenes, i nured to the toils of the chase, and versed i n the stratagems of c3 b order

  
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b order warfare, can contemplate w ith i ndifference the p rospect o f a solitary e ncampment in the forest; and our t raveller b egan to l ook i mpatiently for the s igns of human habitation. H e listened w i t h i ntense interest to every sound, i n v a i n ; t he deer s till g alloped across h is p ath, s topping to g aze at the harmless s tranger; then throwing b ack t heir horns, a nd leaping leisurely away w ith g raceful b ounds. T h e o w l h ooted i n the dark v alleys, sending forth yells so long, so l oud, and so dismal, as to mislead the t raveller i nto the momentary belief that i t was the mournful w ail o f human m i sery ; while the long s hadows f alling across t he deep r avines, and seen t hrough m yriads of yellow leaves w hich floated o n the b reeze, a ssumed fantastic shapes t o the now heated fancy of the tired w ayfarer.

CHAP.

  
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C H A P . II.

M R . G eorge L e e had been accustomed f rom his youth to active sports, and severe bodily exercises; he was perfectly at h ome in the saddle, and loved to wander about the w oods, b etter t han t o do a ny t hing else, except to d rink w ine. T here w ere, therefore, s ome p leasures m ixed w ith t he perplexities of his present s ituation. H e b ore t he fatigues i nto w hich he was so unexpectedly t hrown, l ike a n experienced hunter, accustomed to long and weary excursions ; his n ative courage rendered him careless o f the dangers of the way, and his taste for forest sports was frequently gratified c4 by

  
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b y the sight of animals which were new t o h i m , and of places charmingly suited t o the amusements i n which he delighted. T h e only thing that distressed him was hunger. A l t h o u g h he was i n love, a nd h ad travelled all the way from V i r ginia, i n pursuit of M i s s P endleton, w hose h and he considered indispensable t o his happiness, yet he was so unsentimental as to be actually h u n g r y     a n d w ell he might be, for the p oor y o u n g m an h ad now been r i d i n g t wenty-four h ours without f ood. W h e n suffering a p rivation o f this k i n d , w e are apt to torment ourselves w ith t he recollection of t he g ood t hings that we have eaten i n h appier days. A n d who had been more f ortunate in this respect than our friend G eorge, who had not only " sat at g ood m ens' feasts" all his l ife, b ut kept expert c ooks, a nd g ave f amous dinners himself? H e l ooked back, w ith p leasurable and m ournful r eminiscence, s imilar t o that of

  
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o f the man who is suddenly reduced f rom opulence to poverty. H e too was r educed i n his circumstances, for he was d enied the l u x u r y of eating, which is t he most important circumstance of l ife; a nd t he visions of departed saddles of venison, t urkeys, hams, roast pigs, oysters, a nd v arious other dainty dishes, which t he V i r g i n i a n s have i n great perfection, a nd d ispense w ith p rodigal hospitality t o their friends, rose before h is mind's e ye in mournful yet delicious profusion. T hese reveries he dwelt upon u ntil t heir sameness wearied his m i n d . H e began t o grow faint and t i r e d ; e xcessive h u n ger produced drowsiness, accompanied w i t h s uch callousness of feeling, that a p ropensity was creeping over h i m to t hrow himself on the ground, and sleep a way his senses a nd his existence. He t ried to recollect some t ext of scripture w hich m ight comfort h i m , but for his l ife he could think of nothing but " eat, c5 d rink,

  
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d r i n k , a nd be merry," or something that h ad e ating and d r i n k i n g i n it. H e attempted to sing, but his songs w ere all b achanalian, a nd only served to provoke t hirst. H e would have repeated some stanzas of poetry to k eep h i m awake, i f he had k n o w n a n y ; but he had never c ultivated t he muses, and not a line could h e recollect, but
" Little J a c k e y H o r n e r , sitting in n corner, E a t i n g a Christmas pie ; "

a nd t he dreadful conviction fastened i t self at last upon his alarmed fancy, that i f he should escape a m iserable death by s tarvation i n the wilderness, he would s urely m eet a w retched end by surfeit, w henever he should c ome i n contact w ith f ood. N ever d i d G eorge L e e commune so long w ith his own thoughts, o r reflect so seriously. A l l at o nce h is t ired horse, who was m oving slowly along the hardly-perceptible

  
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t ible p ath, w ith t he bridle hanging on h is n eck, suddenly stopped, as the path t urned almost at right angles, round a dense t hicket. A few paces before h i m , a nd u ntil t his instant c oncealed b y the t hick b rush, stood a m iserable squalid b oy, intently e ngaged i n watching some o bject n ot far from him. A s mall, g aunt, wolf-looking, starved dog crouched near h i m , equally intent on the same g ame, so that even his quick ear did not c atch the tread of the horse's feet, as t hey rustled among the dry leaves, u ntil t he parties w ere i