Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-05-15
INDIANA STATE SENTINEL.
From the Kentucky statesman.l
John James Aud u b on.
By PARKE GOODWIN


lcoxcLUDED]
INCIDENTS.
The incidents it must be supposed, of expeditions
of this sort, are many and striking. Exposed to
danger on every side by floods by tempess, by fires
by wild beasts, and by the hand of man, his life was
a perpetual scene Of vicissitudcs and adventures.
Some of these it may be entertaining TO re-
fer to. At time in the month of November,
travelling through the barrens of Kentucky, he re-
marked sudden and strange darkness issuing from
the western horizon. Ar first he supposed it might
be coming storm Of thunder and rain. He had pro-
ceeded about mile, when he heard what he lmagln-
ed TO be the distant rumbling Of violent tornado.
He SpGrred his horse, with the view OF galopng to
place of shelter, but the animal, apparently more
sagacious than the rider, nearly stopped, or rather
moved forward slowly, placing one foot before the
other, with much precaution as II walking on
a smooth sheet of ice. He dismounted to ascertain
what the matter, when the steed fell to grooming
piteouSy hung his head, spread out his fore legs as
if to save himself from falling and stood stock still
AT that instant all the shrubs and trees began to move
from their very roots, and the ground rose and fell In
successive furrows like the rued waters On the sea-
It an earthquake. ssWho can tell of the senSa-
tons experienced" writes naturalist, ''when
rocking my horse, and with him moved to and fro
like child in cradle, with the most imminent dan
ger around, and expecting the ground every mo-
ment to open and present TO my eyes such an abyss
might engulf myself and all around me? The fear
and the heavens again Frightened quickly as they
had become obscured; my horse brought his feet to
their natural position, raised his head, and galloped
off as If loose and frolicking without rider"
Nor to the fury of the elements alone was our in
repld man of science exposed. Once-and, slngu-
lar say, only once, in wandering for twenty years
was he threatened with death by the hand of man.
This was, when returning from the upper Mississippi
be was forced to one of the wide pralrleS oil
that region. We must let him relate it.
Al al.
terminabe jaunt over the prairie, he approached a
light that feebly shone from the window oil log hut
He reached the spot, and presenting himself at The
door asked a tall figure of woman whether he
might take shelter under her roof. Her voice was
gru and her dress carelessly thrown about her per-
son. She answered his question in the Affirmative,
when he walked in, took wooden stool, and quietly
seated himself by the fire. A finely formed young
Indian, bis head resting between his hands, with his
elbows his knees, seated in the centre OF the
cabin A long bow stood against the wall, while a
quantity of arrows and two or three black raccoon
skins lay at his feet. He moved not he apparently
breathed not Being addressed in French, he raised
his head pointed TO of his eyes with his hnger
and gave a significant glance with the other. His
face was covered with blood. 1t appeared, that an
hour BEFORE in the act of discharging an arrow at
raccoon, the arrow split upon the cord and sprang
back with such violence into his right eye to de-
stroy it forever
''FseIng hungry" Mr. Audubon continues his
L
pect Such thing as a bed was not TO be seen, but
many untanned bear and buffalo hides lay piled in
corner Idrew fine timepece from my vest, and told
the woman 1t was late, and that was iahgued. She
had eSpied my watch, the richness of which seemed
TO operate upon her feelings with electric quick
ness. She told me thatthere plenty OF veniSon
and erked buffalo meat, and that removing the
ashes should find a cake. Butmy watch had struck
her fancy and her curiosity had to be grated with
sight of it. took off the gold chain that secured
from around my neck, and presented 1t to her, She
spoke of its beauty asked its value, put the chain
around her brawny neck, saying how happy the pos
session of such chain would make her. Thought
less and, fancied myself in retired spot, Sc
cure, paid but little attention to her talk her
movements. helped my dog to good supper of
veniSon, and not long in satisfying the demands
of my own appetite. The Indian rose from his seat
as if in extreme suffering He passed and re-Passed
me several times, and once pnced me on the side so
violently, that the pain nearly brought forth an ex
clamatlon of anger. looked at him. His eyes met
mine; but his look was forbidding that it struck
a chill into the more nervous part of my system. He
again seated himself, drew butchers knife from its
greasy scabbard, examined its edge, as would do
that of suspected to be dull replaced it, and
again taking his tomahawk from his back, filled the
pipe OF 1t with tobacco, and sent me expressive
glances whenever our hostess CHANGED to have her
back towards Never till that moment had my
senses been awakened to the danger which now
pected to be about me. returned glance for glance
with my companion and retired, well assured that
whatever enemies ] might have, he not of the
number
In the meantime, he retired TO rest upon the skins,
when two atheletic youths, the sons of the woman,
made their entrance. She whispered with them a
little while, when they fell to eating and drinking, to
state bordering on intoxication EJudge of my as
constituent, he says, ''when | saw this incarnate
fend take large carving knife, and 60 TO the grind
stone to whet its edgel | her pour the water on
the turning machine, and watched her working away
with the dangerous instrument, until the sweat
cred every part of my body, in spite of my deerm-
nation to defend myself TO the last Her task finish
ed, she walked to her Keeling sons and said: There
that'll soon settle him. Boys kill yon--, and
then for the watchn turned, cooked my gun locks
silently, and lay ready TO start up and shoot the first
whe might attempt my life. Fortunately, two stran-
gers entering at the Moment the purpose Of the
man was disclosed, and she and her drunken
cured.