The sun was just dipping behind the tips of the trees; the air, which had been oppressively hot all day, was somewhat cooler. I was going slowly up the stream with long easy strokes of the paddle, under the shadow of the overhanging willows, when, about 100 paces before me, I saw four wolves playing together on a bank of gravel, jumping in and out of the water, and rolling over each other like puppies. They did not see me, and I paddled silently to the side of the river where they were playing, ran the canoe on the sand, took the paddle, hardly knowing exactly what I intended, and crept stealthily along towards the unsuspecting wolves, a projecting rock hiding me from their sight. But wolves have a fine scent, and just as I was raising my head cautiously, they all four sprang into the thicket. I returned disappointed to my canoe, and continued my voyage. On arriving close to a canebrake, about 100 yards further on, I heard a rustling, and caught hold of the bough of a tree near me, to keep the canoe as still as possible, when an immense wolf, as black as pitch, with a white star on his breast, came out of the canes, apparently with the intention of swimming across to join his companions. When he caught sight of me, he turned his head from side to side like a dog. As I remained quite motionless, but with my eyes steadily fixed on him, he took courage, walked into the water, and began to swim across about fifteen yards ahead of the canoe. I let him gain the middle of the stream, which may have been about sixty yards wide, when I gave the canoe a good shove ahead, and paddling as hard as I could, I gained fast on the surprised wolf. In the first moment, not knowing which shore to make for, he turned up stream, giving me thus a great advantage over him. But he soon found out his mistake, and turned in his first direction, this time gaining an advantage over me, because my clumsy craft was not easily turned. He had about twenty yards to swim, and we both tried hard which should first reach the shore. The bank was still a few feet distant, when I came alongside of the beast, which was swimming desperately for its life, and, forgetting the ticklish nature of my craft, I rose up to give him a blow across the spine with the sharp edge of the paddle, meaning then to attack him with my knife, as I was without my rifle. He was close beside me, and looked up at me as I raised the paddle, when the vile canoe slipped from under me; I lost my balance, and fell into the water just clear of the wolf, who touched bottom at the same moment, and at once began shaking himself. The water was not deep, but I was wet through, and vexed at seeing my prey escape, just as I had made sure of him. A wolf’s scalp is valued at three dollars in Arkansas. I had moreover the additional pleasure of swimming some way down the river after the canoe.
I arrived at Haller’s next day without further adventure, embarked Kean’s things, taking also all my skins with me, as I could sell them better at Little Rock than at Fourche le Fave. I gave the canoe to an old German, who was fond of fishing, and who had to fish himself out of the water the first time he tried her.
I soon returned to the settlement, and a few days afterwards took leave of Kean, who, with a promise to write to me, set off on horseback towards the south. My arrangements were soon made, and on the following morning I set off up the bank of the river towards the mountains, intending to shoot all the summer. Kelfer, who had already received us so hospitably, was kind enough to offer me the loan of a horse for the summer. I thankfully accepted his kindness, and rode off in good spirits, not knowing exactly where; but that was always one of the least of my cares, so that I was only in motion, and I soon found a good place for sport. I learnt that there was very good shooting ground higher up the river, near the grave-lick, so called because two Indians were buried there, who had been killed by a panther. Here I joined an American, named Hogarth, who lived in the neighborhood, and was a keen sportsman. After trying the waters of the Fourche le Fave, we went to the sources of the Washita; but the forests not having been burnt for many years, were so thickly overgrown with underwood, that it was impossible to find the deer, or to shoot game enough to live upon.
We had been shooting for about five weeks, when one morning, as we were riding side by side, I felt all at once giddy and unwell. The evening before, we had been overtaken by a thunderstorm, and my clothes were still damp. This attack came on so suddenly, that I had hardly time to say I was ill, and Hogarth turning round, observed that I was very pale, when every thing swam before my eyes, and turned black and blue; and I fell senseless off the horse before Hogarth could lay hold of me. I recovered my senses in a few minutes, but was so ill that it was with great difficulty I could mount my horse, and keep myself to the saddle. We had, however, not far to go to the house of a Mr. Collmar, and I held on by the mane and pommel, though lolling from side to side like a drunken man.
The house was nothing more than a shed formed of boards, but the good people received me very hospitably, and attended me kindly for the two days that I lay delirious. On the third day I was able to be lifted on horseback, and we returned over the mountains that divide the left arm of the Fourche le Fave from the main stream, to Hogarth’s house; he would not let me move till I was tolerably recovered.
At no great distance from hence, lived an old backwoodsman, named Slowtrap, with whom I was well acquainted, and who showed so much kindness and good feeling that I became quite attached to him. Still I longed for German society; besides, I had kept Kelfer’s horse too long, and would not abuse his good nature. Therefore, though still unwell, I rode from Hogarth’s about the end of August, towards Kelfer’s, who not only received me with kindness, but treated me quite as one of his own family.
He had been accustomed to a quiet comfortable life in his early days, having been a clergyman in Germany, but he had shaken off the superintendent yoke of his native country, exchanging it for the independent life of a farmer in the American forests, and was happy and contented in his family circle. His young wife was quite an example of household virtue: they had four very fine children. He produced almost every thing that he required, and though in his youth unaccustomed to hard work, he cultivated his land alone, and was not behind any American in the use of his axe; his cattle and pigs were among the best in the place.
When first I arrived I felt very wretched and miserable, but the kind attentions of Mrs. Kelfer restored me after a time; I managed to help a little on the farm, and now and then took a turn with my rifle, and shot a deer or a turkey.
The sessions were held about this time at Fourche le Fave, and several advocates, some from Little Rock, some from the neighborhood, assembled at Perryville, and quartered themselves on the farmers. Kelfer received one, who was a gentlemanly young man, and he (Kelfer) had cases to settle with some of the bad characters in the vicinity. There was now bustle enough in the usually quiet place, and the little town of Perryville, about two miles off, consisting of one little shop, and the dwelling of the ferryman, who was also postmaster, was the assembling place of the county.
The shop, which formed one half of the town, belonged to a German, who was too good a specimen of a certain class of his countrymen to be passed by without notice. Bockenheim, or as the Americans called him, Buckingham, must, I should think, have been a manufacturer of birch brooms, as he showed extraordinary talent for that branch of the fine arts; but he endeavored to gain his livelihood in the general retail line, and he drove a pretty good trade in Arkansas, where he had settled himself by chance, and where the people were forced to deal with him, as his was at first the only shop. Rutkin, however, interfered with his business, and at first did him much harm, until his proud domineering manner drove all his customers away, excepting those who thought to gain advantage over him. Bockenheim spoke such a jargon that it was impossible to make out whether he was speaking English, German, or Indian. A German immigrant would never have understood him, and the Americans were obliged to guess at his meaning; but for all that, he managed very well, and as he had gained a good sum by his trade, he naturally enough ascribed it all to his own wisdom.