, 'he flirted it out,' as he used to say,
'without it costing him a cent.'

"The other ball yet remained. It gave him, however, but little pain, and
he carried it with him to the grave. Higgins died in Fayette County,
Illinois, a few years ago. He was the most perfect specimen of a
frontier man in his day, and was once assistant door-keeper of the House
of Representatives in Illinois. The facts above stated are familiar to
many to whom Higgins was personally known, and there is no doubt of
their correctness."[E]

[Footnote E: Brown's Illinois.]

This narrative gives one a very vivid idea of the nature of the conflict
in which Boone, through so many years of his life, was engaged. The
little fort, whose feeble garrison he commanded, was liable at any time
to be assailed by overwhelming numbers.

Daniel Boone, during his occupancy of the fort at Boonesborough,
manifested the most constant vigilance to guard against surprise. He was
however struggling against a foe whose cunning and strategems were such,
as not to allow him an hour of quiet. One morning two men laboring in
the field were shot at by the Indians. Not being hit, they ran for the
fort. They were pursued by the savages, and one was tomahawked and
scalped within a few hundred feet of the gate. Boone hearing the alarm,
inconsiderately rushed out with ten men upon the miscreants. They fled
before him hotly pursued. In the eagerness of the chase, Boone had not
counted the number of his foes. Some of them rushing from their ambush
cut off his retreat. At one discharge, six of his men fell wounded.
Boone's leg was shattered by a ball.

As he fell to the ground, the tomahawk of a savage was over his head.
Simon Kenton, who was one of Boone's party, with sure aim pierced the
heart of the savage with a rifle bullet and he fell dead. Reinforcements
rushed from the fort, and fortunately succeeded in rescuing the
adventurous party, the wounded and all. It is said of Boone, that
though a silent man and not given to compliments, he manifested very
deep gratitude to his friend Kenton for saving his life. The very
peculiar character of Boone is vividly presented in the following
sketch, from the graphic pen of Mr. Peck:

"As dangers thickened and appearances grew more alarming, as scouts came
in with rumors of Indians seen here and there, and as the hardy and bold
woodsmen sat around their camp-fires with the loaded rifle at hand,
rehearsing for the twentieth time the