in winning the favor of the
people. When the day of election came, the popular bear-hunter beat
both of his competitors by twenty-seven hundred and forty-seven votes.
Thus David Crockett, unable to read and barely able to sign his name,
became a member of Congress, to assist in framing laws for the grandest
republic earth has ever known. He represented a constituency of about
one hundred thousand souls.

An intelligent gentleman, travelling in West Tennessee, finding himself
within eight miles of Colonel Crockett's cabin, decided to call upon
the man whose name had now become quite renowned. This was just after
Crockett's election to Congress, but before he had set out for
Washington. There was no road leading to the lonely hut. He followed a
rough and obstructed path or trail, which was indicated only by blazed
trees, and which bore no marks of being often travelled.

At length he came to a small opening in the forest, very rude and
uninviting in its appearance. It embraced eight or ten acres. One of
the humblest and least tasteful of log huts stood in the centre. It was
truly a cabin, a mere shelter from the weather. There was no yard;
there were no fences. Not the slightest effort had been made toward
ornamentation. It would be difficult to imagine a more lonely and
cheerless abode.

Two men were seated on stools at the door, both in their shirt-sleeves,
engaged in cleaning their rifles. As the stranger rode up, one of the
men rose and came forward to meet him. He was dressed in very plain
homespun attire, with a black fur cap upon his head. He was a finely
proportioned man, about six feet high, apparently forty-five years of
age, and of very frank, pleasing, open countenance. He held his rifle
in his hand, and from his right shoulder hung a bag made of raccoon
skin, to which there was a sheath attached containing a large
butcher-knife.

"This is Colonel Crockett's residence, I presume," said the stranger.

"Yes," was the reply, with a smile as of welcome.

"Have I the pleasure of seeing that gentleman before me?" the stranger
added.

"If it be a pleasure," was the courtly reply, "you have, sir."

"Well, Colonel," responded the stranger, "I have ridden much out of my
way to spend a day or two with you, and take a hunt."

"Get down, sir," said the Colonel, cordially. "I am delighted to see
you. I like to see strangers. And the only care I have is that I cannot
accommodate them as well as I could wish. I ha