The Washington herald., 1911-09-10

sold them and settled with all his creditors
in full.
Then he went back to Missouri with Just
one half dollar in his pocket, and to ms
friends who welcomed him, he said:
Now l am ready and willing to die.
am relieved from a burden which has long
oppressed me. I have paid all my debts,
and no one will say when I'm gone, Boone
was a dishonest man.
A very curious story of Boone is given by
Audubon, the naturalist, In Boone's own
words, as told to him when he was with the
pioneer on a hunting trip.
After telling how he had once escaped
from some Indians, while they were sleeping
of the effects of a drunken carouse, by roll
ing to the campfire and burning the thongs
that bound him, Boone continued:
"I was determined to mark the spot, and,
walking to thrifty ASH sapling, cut out OF
1T three large chips and ran Oh. soon
reached the river, crossed IT and threw my
self into the cane brakes, initiating the tracks
of an Indian with my feet, so that no chance
might be left for those from whom l had
escaped to overtake me. II is now nearly
forty years since this happened, and more
than FIVE since l left the whites settlement,
which / might never probably have visited
again had | not been called upon as WIT
ness IN a law suit which was pending IN
Kentucky, and which l really believe would
never have been settled had ] not come for
ward and established the beginning Of GER
tain boundary line. The story is this, sir:
Mr.. Black moved from old Virginia into
Kentucky, and, having a large tract granted
to him in the new State, laid claim to a GER
tain parcel Of land adjoining Green River,
and, as chance would have it, took Tor one
of his corners the very ash tree on which
/ had made my mark, beginning, as 1t II ex.
pressed in the deed, at an ash tree marked
by three distinct notches Of the tomahawk
OF white man,
'"Thc tree had grown much and the bark
had covered the marks But, somehow or
other, Mr.. Black had heard from some one
all that have already said to you, and,
thinking that might remember the spot al
luded to in the deed, but which was no long
er discoverable, wrote for me TO come and
try at least to find the place or the tree.
His letter mentioned that all my expenses
should be paid and, not caring much about
once more going back to Kentucky, i started
and met Mr.. Black. After some conversa-
ton the affair with the Indians came to my
recollection. / considered for a while, and
began to think that, after all, could find the
very spot, as well as the tree, II 1t were
yet standing
"Mr. Black and / mounted our horses and
off we went to the Green River bottoms.
After some difticulty-for you must be aware,
sir that great changes have taken place in
those woods--I found at last the spot where
/ had crossed the river, and, waiting for the
moon to rise, made for the course in which
/ thought the ash tree grew.
"0n approaching the place, i felt as u
the Indians were there still, and as II l
were still prisoner among them. Mr. Black
and ! camped near what conceived the spot,
and waited until the return OF day.
AT the rising of the sun ! was on loot,
and, after a good deal of musing, thought
that an ash tree then in sight must be the
very one on which l had made my mark.
/ felt as il there could be no doubt about
it, and mentioned my thought 20 Mr.. Black.
"'Wel, Colonel Boone, said he, If you
think 80, ] hope that it may prove true, but
we must have some witnesses. Do you stay
hereabouts and l viii go and bring some OF
the settlers whom l know
'T agreed. Mr. Black trotted of and sCon
returned, accompanied by three genil men
They looked upon me as If ! had been NJ; sh'
ington himself and walked TO the ash t;cc.
which ] now called my own, as in quest -
a long-lost treasure.
'1 took an ak from one OF them, and eut
q few chips of the bark. Still no signs were
to be seen. So l cut again until / thought
il time to be cautious, and scrapcd a.nt
worked away with my butcher knife until
did come to where my tomahawk had left All
impression on the wood.
ave now went regularly to work, and
scraped the tree with care, until three hacks,
as plain as any three notches ever were, could
be seen. Mr.. Black and the other gentle
men were astonished and must allow that
was as much surprised as pleased myself
II made affidavit of this remarkable oc-
currence in presence of these gentlemen. MIR.
Black gained his cause. left Green River,
and came to where we are now; and, sir,
l wish you goodnight"
Daniel Boone lived till he was eighty-six,
dying on the 26th of September, 1920 In
1915 the citizens Of Frankfort, the State
capital of Kentucky, brought the remains of
in the cemetery, where beautiful monument
marks his grave