pioneers of the old southwest-第34部分

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he　TRUTH。　His　favorite　penalty　for　offenders　was　the　hickory　rod　〃well　laid　on。〃　Often　he　decided　that　both　parties　in　a　suit　were　equally　to　blame　and　chastised　them　both　alike。　When　in　March；　1804；　the　American　Commissioner　received　Louisiana　for　the　United　States；　Delassus；　Lieutenant　Governor　of　Upper　Louisiana；　reporting'on　the　various　officials　in　the　territory；　wrote　of　the　Femme　Osage　Syndic：　〃Mr。　Boone；　a　respectable　old　man；　just　and　impartial；　he　has　already；　since　I　appointed　him；　offered　his　resignation　owing　to　his　infirmities。　Believing　I　know　his　probity；　I　have　induced　him　to　remain；　in　view　of　my　confidence　in　him　for　the　public　good。〃*

*Thwaites；　〃Daniel　Boone。　〃To　this　and　other　biographies　of　Boone；　cited　in　the　Bibliographical　Note　at　the　end　of　this　volume；　the　author　is　indebted　for　the　material　contained　in　this　chapter。


Daniel；　no　doubt　supposing　that　a　Syndic's　rights　were　inviolable；　had　neglected　to　apply　to　the　Governor　at　New　Orleans　for　a　ratification　of　his　grant。　He　was　therefore　dispossessed。　Not　until　1810；　and　after　he　had　enlisted　the　Kentucky　Legislature　in　his　behalf；　did　he　succeed　in　inducing　Congress　to　restore　his　land。　The　Kentucky　Legislature's　resolution　was　adopted　because　of　〃the　many　eminent　services　rendered　by　Colonel　Boone　in　exploring　and　settling　the　western　country；　from　which　great　advantages　have　resulted　not　only　to　the　State　but　to　the　country　in　general；　and　that　from　circumstances　over　which　he　had　no　control　he　is　now　reduced　to　poverty；　not　having　so　far　as　appears　an　acre　of　land　out　of　the　vast　territory　he　has　been　a　great　instrument　in　peopling。〃　Daniel　was　seventy…six　then；　so　it　was　late　in　the　day　for　him　to　have　his　first　experience　of　justice　in　the　matter　of　land。　Perhaps　it　pleased　him；　however；　to　hear　that；　in　confirming　his　grant；　Congress　had　designated　him　as　〃the　man　who　has　opened　the　way　for　millions　of　his　fellow…men。〃

The　〃infirmities〃　which　had　caused　the　good　Syndic　to　seek　relief　from　political　cares　must　have　been　purely　magisterial。　The　hunter　could　have　been　very　little　affected　by　them；　for　as　soon　as　he　was　freed　from　his　duties　Boone　took　up　again　the　silent　challenge　of　the　forest。　Usually　one　or　two　of　his　sons　or　his　son…in…law；　Flanders　Calloway；　accompanied　him；　but　sometimes　his　only　companions　were　an　old　Indian　and　his　hunting　dog。　On　one　of　his　hunting　trips　he　explored　a　part　of　Kansas；　and　in　1814；　when　he　was　eighty；　he　hunted　big　game　in　the　Yellowstone　where　again　his　heart　rejoiced　over　great　herds　as　in　the　days　of　his　first　lone　wanderings　in　the　Blue　Grass　country。　At　last；　with　the　proceeds　of　these　expeditions　he　was　able　to　pay　the　debts　he　had　left　behind　in　Kentucky　thirty　years　before。　The　story　runs　that　Daniel　had　only　fifty　cents　remaining　when　all　the　claims　had　been　settled；　but　so　contented　was　he　to　be　able　to　look　an　honest　man　in　the　face　that　he　was　in　no　disposition　to　murmur　over　his　poverty。

When　after　a　long　and　happy　life　his　wife　died　in　1813；　Boone　lived　with　one　or　other　of　his　sons*　and　sometimes　with　Flanders　Calloway。　Nathan　Boone；　with　whom　Daniel　chiefly　made　his　home；　built　what　is　said　to　have　been　the　first　stone　house　in　Missouri。　Evidently　the　old　pioneer　disapproved　of　stone　houses　and　of　the　〃luxuries〃　in　furnishings　which　were　then　becoming　possible　to　the　new　generation；　for　one　of　his　biographers　speaks　of　visiting　him　in　a　log　addition　to　his　son's　house；　and　when　Chester　Harding；　the　painter；　visited　him　in　1819　for　the　purpose　of　doing　his　portrait；　he　found　Boone　dwelling　in　a　small　log　cabin　in　Nathan's　yard。　When　Harding　entered；　Boone　was　broiling　a　venison　steak　on　the　end　of　his　ramrod。　During　the　sitting；　one　day；　Harding　asked　Boone　if　he　had　ever　been　lost　in　the　woods　when　on　his　long　hunts　in　the　wilderness。

*　Boone's　son　Nathan　won　distinction　in　the　War　of　1812　and　entered　the　regular　army；　rising　to　the　rank　of　Lieutenant　Colonel。　Daniel　Morgan　Boone　is　said　to　have　been　the　first　settler　in　Kansas　（1827）。　One　of　Daniel's　grandsons；　bearing　the　name　of　Albert　Gallatin　Boone；　was　a　pioneer　of　Colorado　and　was　to　the　forefront　in　Rocky　Mountain　exploration。　Another　grandson　was　the　scout；　Kit　Carson；　who　led　Fremont　to　California。


〃No；　I　never　got　lost；〃　Boone　replied　reflectively；　〃but　I　was　BEWILDERED　once　for　three　days。〃　Though　now　having　reached　the　age　of　eighty…five；　Daniel　was　intensely　interested　in　California　and　was　enthusiastic　to　make　the　journey　thither　next　spring　and　so　to　flee　once　more　from　the　civilization　which　had　crept　westward　along　his　path。　The　resolute　opposition　of　his　sons；　however；　prevented　the　attempt。

A　few　men　who　sought　out　Boone　in　his　old　age　have　left　us　brief　accounts　of　their　impressions。　Among　these　was　Audubon。　〃The　stature　and　general　appearance　of　this　wanderer　of　the　western　forests；〃　the　naturalist　wrote；　〃approached　the　gigantic。　His　chest　was　broad；　and　prominent；　his　muscular　powers　displayed　themselves　in　every　limb；　his　countenance　gave　indication　of　his　great　courage；　enterprise　and　perseverance；　and；　when　he　spoke；　the　very　motion　of　his　lips　brought　the　impression　that　whatever　he　uttered　could　not　be　otherwise　than　strictly　true。〃

Audubon　spent　a　night　under　Boone's　roof。　He　related　afterwards　that　the　old　hunter；　having　removed　his　hunting　shirt；　spread　his　blankets　on　the　floor　and　lay　down　there　to　sleep；　saying　that　he　found　it　more　comfortable　than　a　bed。　A　striking　sketch　of　Boone　is　contained　in　a　few　lines　penned　by　one　of　his　earliest　biographers：　〃He　had　what　phrenologists　would　have　considered　a　model　headwith　a　forehead　peculiarly　high；　noble　and　bold；　thin　compressed　lips；　a　mild　clear　blue　eye；　a　large　and　prominent　chin　and　a　general　expression　of　countenance　in　which　fearlessness　and　courage　sat　enthroned　and　which　told　the　beholder　at　a　glance　what　he　had　been　and　was　formed　to　be。〃　In　criticizing　the　various　portraits　of　Daniel；　the　same　writer　says：　〃They　want　the　high　port　and　noble　daring　of　his　countenance。。。。　Never　was　old　age　more　green；　or　gray　hairs　more　graceful。　His　high；　calm；　bold　forehead　seemed　converted　by　years　into　iron。〃

Although　we　are　indebted　to　these　and　other　early　chroniclers　for　many　details　of　Boone's　life；　there　was　one　event　which　none　of　his　biographers　has　related；　yet　we　know　that　it　must　have　taken　place。　Even　the　bare　indication　of　it　is　found　only　in　the　narrative　of　the　adventures　of　two　other　explorers。

It　was　in　the　winter　of　1803　that　these　two　men　came　to　Boone's　Settlement；　as　La　Charette　was　now　generally　called。　They　had　planned　to　make　their　winter　camp　there；　for　in　the　spring；　when　the　Missouri　rose　to　the　flood；　they　and　their　company　of　frontiersmen　were　to　take　their　way　up　that　uncharted　stream　and　over　plains　and　mountains　in　quest　of　the　Pacific　Ocean。　They　were　refused　permission　by　the　Spanish　authorities　to　camp　at　Boone's　Settlement；　so　they　lay　through　the　winter　some　forty　miles　distant　on　the　Illinois　side　of　the　Mississippi；　across　from　the　mouth　of　the　Missouri。　Since　the　records　are　silent；　we　are　free　to　picture　as　we　choose　their　coming　to　the　settlement　during　the　winter　and　again　in　the　spring；　for　we　know　that　they　came。

We　can　imagine；　for　instance；　the　stir　they　made　in　La　Charette　on　some　sparkling　day　when　the　frost　bit　and　the　crusty　snow　sent　up　a　dancing　haze　of　diamond　points。　We　can　see　the　friendly　French　habitants　staring　after　the　two　young　leaders　and　their　menall　mere　boys；　though　they　were　also　husky；　seasoned　frontiersmenwith　their　bronzed　faces　of　English　cast；　as　in　their　gayly　fringed　deerskins　they　swaggered　through　the　hamlet　to　pay　their　respects　to　the　Syndic。　We　may　think　of　that　dignitary　as　smoking　his　pipe　before　his　fireplace；　perhaps；　or　making　out；　in　his　fantastic　spelling；　a　record　of　his　primitive　courtfor　instance；　that　he　had　on　that　day　given　Pierre　a　dozen　hickory　thwacks；　〃well　laid　on；〃　for　starting　a　brawl　with　Antoine；　and　had　bestowed　the　same　upon　Antoine　for　continuing　the　brawl　with　Pierre。　A　knock　at　the　door　would　bring　the　amiable　invitation　to　enter；　and　the　two　young　men　would　step　across　his　threshold；　while　their　followers　crowded　about　the　open　door　and　hailed　the　old　pathfinder。

One　of　the　two　leadersthe　dark　slender　man　with　a　subtle　touch　of　the　dreamer　in　his　resolute　facewas　a　stranger；　but　the　other；　with　the　more　practical　mien　and　the　shock　of　hair　that　gave　him　the　name　of　Red　Head　among　the　tribes；　Boone　had　known　as　a　lad　in　Kentucky。　To　Daniel　and　this　young　visitor　the　encounter　would　be　a　simple　meeting　of　friends；　heightened　in　pleasure　and　interest　somewhat；　naturally；　by　the　adventure　in　prospect。　But　to　us　there　is　something　vast　in　the　thought　of　Daniel　Boone；　on　his　last　frontier；　grasping　the　hands　of　William　Clark　and　Meriwether　Lewis。

As　for　the　rough　and　hearty　mob　at　the　door；　Daniel　must　have　known　not　a　few　of　them　well；　though　they　had　been　children　in　the　days　when　he　and　William　Clark's　brother　strove　for　Kentucky。　It　seems　fitting　that　the　soldiers　with　this　expedition　should　have　come　from　the　garrison　at　Kaskaskia；　since　the　taking　of　that　fort　in　1778　by　George　Rogers　Clark　had　opened　the　western　way　from　the　boundaries　of　Kentucky　to　the　Mississippi。　And　among　the　young　Kentuckians　enlisted　by　William　Clark　were　sons　of　the　sturdy　fighters　of　still　an　earlier　border　line；　Clinch　and　Holston　Valley　men　who　had　adventured　under　another　Lewis　at　Point　Pleasant。　Daniel　would　recognize　in　thesesuch　as　Charles　Floydthe　young　kinsmen　of　his　old…time　comrades　whom　he　had　preserved　from　starvation　in　the　Kentucky　wilderness　by　the　kill　from　his　rifle　as　they　made　their　long　march　home　after　Dunmore's　War。

In　May；　Lewis　and　Clark's　pirogues　ascended　the　Missouri　and　the　leaders　and　men　of　the　expedition　spent　another　day　in　La　Charette。　Once　again；　at　least；　Daniel　was　to　watch　the　westward　departure　of　pioneers。　In　1811；　when　the　Astorians　passed；　one　of　their　number　pointed　to　the　immobile　figure　of　〃an　old　man　on　the　bank；　who；　he　said；　was　Daniel　Boone。〃

Sometimes　the　aged　pioneer's　mind　cast　forward　to　his　last　journey；　for　which　his　advancing　years　were　preparing　him。　He　wrote　on　the　subject　to　a　sister；　in　1816；