A love of hunting became his ruling passion, and he would wander, for whole days alone, through the woods, seeming to take great delight in these rambles3, even if he found no game. One morning, when he was about fourteen years old, he was observed, as usual, to throw the band that suspended his shot bag, over the shoulder, and go forth4, accompanied by his dog. Night came, but, to the astonishment5 and alarm of his parents, the boy came not. Another day and another night passed, and still he did not return. The nearest neighbors, sympathizing with the distressed6 parents, who considered him lost, at length turned out, to aid in finding him.
[Pg 164]After a long and weary search, a smoke was seen arising from a temporary hovel of sods and branches, at a distance of a league from any plantation7, in which the astonished father found his child; he was, apparently8, most comfortably occupied in making an experiment in housekeeping. Numerous skins of wild animals were stretched upon his cabin, as trophies9 of his hunting prowess. Ample fragments of their flesh were around—either thrown aside or prepared for cookery.
A few years after this, Boone removed, with his father, to North Carolina, where they founded a settlement upon the banks of the Yadkin. The country was new, and almost totally uninhabited; the game was abundant, and afforded ample scope for young Boone's talents as a hunter. One night, he went out with a friend, upon what is called a fire hunt, the object of which was to shoot deer. In this sport, an iron pan, filled with blazing knots of pitch pine, is carried by one of the sportsmen. This casts a ruddy glare deep into the forest; and the deer, as if bound by a spell of enchantment10, stands still, and gazes at the unwonted apparition11. The lustrous12 eye of the animal is easily seen by the hunter, and thus becomes a mark for the rifle.
On the present occasion, the two hunters had reached the corner of a farmer's field early in the evening, when Boone's companion, who held the fire pan, gave the signal that he shined the eyes of a deer. Boone approached with his ready rifle, and, perceiving the glistening13 eyes, was about to fire, when the deer suddenly retreated. He pursued, and, after a[Pg 165] rapid chase through the woods, came suddenly out at the farmer's house. What was the young hunter's astonishment then to discover that the object upon which he had levelled his rifle a few minutes before, was a beautiful girl of sixteen, and the daughter of the farmer! Boone could do no less than enter the house. The scene that followed is thus described by the biographer:
"The ruddy, flaxen-haired girl stood full in view of her terrible pursuer, leaning upon his rifle, and surveying her with the most eager admiration14. 'Rebecca, this is young Boone, son of our neighbor,' was the laconic15 introduction, offered by the father. Both were young, beautiful, and at the period when the affections exercise their most energetic influence. The circumstances of the introduction were favorable to the result, and the young hunter felt that the eyes of the deer had shined his bosom16 as fatally as his rifle-shot had ever done the innocent deer of the thickets17.
"She, too, when she saw the high, open, bold forehead—the clear, keen, yet gentle and affectionate eye—the firm front, and the visible impress of decision and fearlessness of the hunter; when she interpreted a look, which said, as distinctly as looks could say it, 'how terrible it would have been to have fired!' she can hardly be supposed to have regarded him with indifference18. Nor can it be wondered at that she saw in him her beau ideal of excellence19 and beauty.
"The inhabitants of cities, who live in splendid mansions20, and read novels stored with unreal pictures of life and the heart, are apt to imagine that[Pg 166] love, with all its golden illusions, is reserved exclusively for them. It is a most egregious21 mistake. A model of ideal beauty and perfection is woven in almost every youthful heart, of the finest and most brilliant threads that compose the web of existence. It may not be said that this forest maiden22 was deeply and foolishly smitten23 at first sight. All reasonable time and space were granted to the claims of maidenly24 modesty25. As for Boone, he was incurably26 wounded by her, whose eyes he had shined, and as he was remarkable27 for the backwoods' attribute of never being beaten out of his track, he ceased not to woo, until he gained the heart of Rebecca Bryan. In a word, he courted her successfully, and they were married."
Boone removed with his wife to the head waters of the Yadkin, where he remained for several years, engaged in the quiet pursuits of a husbandman. But in process of time, the country was settled around him, and the restraints of orderly society became established. These were disagreeable to his love of unbounded liberty, and he began to think of seeking a new home in the yet unoccupied wilderness28. Having heard an account of Kentucky from a man by the name of Finley, who had made an expedition thither29, he determined30 to explore the country. Accordingly, in 1769, he set out with four associates, and soon, bidding adieu to the habitations of man, plunged31 into the boundless32 forest.
They ascended33 and crossed the Alleganies, and at last stood on the western summit of the Cumberland Ridge34. What a scene opened before them!—the illimitable forest, as yet unbroken by civilized35 man,[Pg 167] and occupied only by savage36 beasts and more savage men. Yet it bore the marks of the highest fertility. Trees of every form, and touched with every shade of verdure, rose to an unwonted height on every side. In the distance, broad rivers flashed beneath the sun. How little did these hunters imagine that this noble country, within the compass of fifty years, was to be dotted with villages, and crowned with cities!
The party proceeded in their march. They met with an abundance of every species of game. The buffalo37 occupied the plains by thousands; and on one occasion, the whole party came near being crushed by a herd38 of these animals, that came rushing like a torrent39 across a prairie.
They spent the summer in the woods, and in December divided themselves into two parties, for the purpose of extending their means of observation. Boone and Stewart formed one division of the party. As they proceeded toward the Kentucky river, they were never out of sight of buffaloes40, deer and wild turkeys. While they were one day leisurely41 descending42 a hill, the Indian yell suddenly broke upon their ears; a moment after, they were surrounded by savages43, who sprung up from the cane-brakes around, and made them captives. Their hands were bound, and they were compelled to march, a long distance, to the Indian camp. On the second night, they escaped, and returned to the place where they expected to meet their former companions. These, it appears, had returned to Kentucky. That very day, however, Boone's brother arrived with a single companion,[Pg 168] having made his way through the trackless forest, from his residence on the Yadkin.
The four adventurers now devoted44 themselves to hunting; but, one day, while they were out, Boone and Stewart, being separated from their companions, were attacked by Indians, and the latter was shot dead by an arrow. Boone, with some difficulty, escaped to the camp. A short time after this, the companion of the elder Boone wandered into the woods, and was lost. The two brothers sought for him with anxious care, and at last found traces of blood and fragments of his clothes in the vicinity of a place where they had heard the howling of wolves. There was little doubt that he had fallen a sacrifice to these terrible animals. Boone and his brother were now the only white men west of the mountains, yet their spirits were not damped by their condition or by the sad fate which had befallen their companions. They hunted by day; cooked their game, sat by their bright fires and sung the airs of their country at night. They also devoted much of their time to the preparation of a cabin for the approaching winter.
This came at length and passed away; but they were now in want of many things, especially ammunition45, which was beginning to fail them. After long consultation46, it was agreed that the elder Boone should return to North Carolina, and bring back ammunition, horses, and supplies.
The character of Daniel Boone, in consenting to be left alone in the wilderness, surrounded by perils47 from the Indians and wild beasts, of which he had so recently and terribly been made aware, appears in its[Pg 169] true light. We have heard of a Robinson Crusoe, made so by the necessities of shipwreck48; but all history can scarcely furnish another instance of a man, voluntarily consenting to be left alone among savages and wild beasts, seven hundred miles from the nearest white inhabitants.
The separation at last came. The elder brother disappeared in the forest, and Daniel Boone was left in the cabin, entirely49 alone. Their only dog followed the departing brother, and our hunter had nothing but his unconquerable spirit to sustain him during the long and lonely days and nights, visited by the remembrance of his distant wife and children.
To prevent the recurrence50 of dark and lonely thoughts, soon after his brother's departure, Boone set out on a tour of observation, and made an excursion to the Ohio river. He returned at last to his camp, which he found undisturbed. From this point he continued to make trips into the woods, in which he met with a variety of adventures. It was in May that his brother left him, and late in July he returned, with two horses and an abundant supply of needful articles. He brought also the welcome intelligence of the welfare of his brother's family and their kind remembrance of him.
The two brothers now set about selecting a situation for a settlement, where they intended to bring their families. One day, as they were passing through the woods, they saw a herd of buffaloes in great uproar51. They were running, plunging52, and bellowing53, as if roused to fury. The hunters approached the throng54, and perceived that a panther[Pg 170] had leaped upon the back of one of these huge animals, and was gnawing55 away the flesh. The buffalo, maddened by the agony, dashed among the herd, and these were soon thrown into wild confusion. Boone picked his flint, took a deliberate aim, and fired; the panther fell from his seat, and the herd passed on.
We cannot pursue the history of our hero, in all its adventurous56 details. We have told enough to display the leading traits of his character, and we must now hasten on, only noting the principal events. He returned with his brother to North Carolina, and in September, 1773, commenced his removal to Kentucky, with his own family and five others, for the purpose of settling there. They were joined by forty men, who placed themselves under Boone's guidance. On their route they were attacked by the Indians; six of the men were killed, and the cattle were dispersed57. The emigrants58, therefore, returned as far as Clinch59 river, where they made a temporary settlement.
In 1775, Boone assisted in building a fort at a place which was called Boonesburgh, and when completed, he removed his family thither. Two years after, he here sustained two formidable sieges from the Indians, whom he repulsed60. In the following year he was taken while hunting, by the savages, and carried to Detroit. He escaped, and at last returned to his family. Again the fort was invested by the Indians and Canadian Frenchmen, four hundred and fifty strong. Boone, with fifty men, held out, and finally the assailants withdrew. This was the last attack upon Boonesburgh.
In 1792, Kentucky was admitted into the union as[Pg 171] a state, and soon after, Boone, being involved in one of the innumerable law-suits which were about this time inflicted61 upon Kentucky, was deprived of his whole estate by an adverse62 decision. The indignation of the old hunter, at first, knew no bounds; but his tranquillity63 soon returned. He was, however, thoroughly64 disgusted with civilized society, and determined again, though gray with years, to find a home in the unbroken forest.
In 1798, having obtained a grant of two thousand acres of land from the Spanish authorities in upper Louisiana, now Missouri, he removed thither with his family, and settled at Charette. Here he devoted himself to his familiar pursuits of hunting and trapping, and in September, 1822, he died, being in his eighty-fifth year.
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1
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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9
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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10
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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12
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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13
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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14
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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laconic
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| adj.简洁的；精练的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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egregious
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| adj.非常的，过分的 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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23
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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maidenly
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| adj. 像处女的, 谨慎的, 稳静的 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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incurably
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| ad.治不好地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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41
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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42
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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44
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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45
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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46
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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47
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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48
shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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49
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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50
recurrence
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| n.复发，反复，重现 | |
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51
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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52
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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53
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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54
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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56
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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59
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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