impossible that they should ever annoy
him, still the honest-hearted man was oppressed by the consciousness of
his debts, and was very anxious to pay them. The forests were full of
game, many of the animals furnishing very valuable furs. He took his
rifle, some pack-horses, and, accompanied by a single black servant boy,
repaired to the banks of the Osage River to spend the winter in hunting.
Here he was taken dangerously sick, and was apprehensive that he should
die. We know not what were his religious thoughts upon this occasion,
but his calmness in view of death, taken in connection with his
blameless, conscientious, and reflective life, and with the fact that
subsequently he became an openly avowed disciple of Jesus, indicate that
then he found peace in view of pardoned sin through faith in the
atonement of Jesus Christ. He pointed out to the black boy the place
where, should he die, he wished to be buried. He gave very minute
directions in reference to his burial and the disposal of his rifle,
blankets, and peltry. Mr. Peck in the following language describes this
interesting incident in the life of the pioneer:

"On another occasion he took pack-horses and went to the country on the
Osage river, taking for a camp-keeper a negro boy about twelve or
fourteen years of age. Soon after preparing his camp and laying in his
supplies for the winter, he was taken sick and lay a long time in camp.
The horses were hobbled out on the range. After a period of stormy
weather, there came a pleasant and delightful day, and Boone felt able
to walk out. With his staff--for he was quite feeble--he took the boy to
the summit of a small eminence and marked out the ground in shape and
size of a grave, and then gave the following directions.

"He instructed the boy, in case of his death, to wash and lay his body
straight, wrapped up in one of the cleanest blankets. He was then to
construct a kind of shovel, and with that instrument and the hatchet to
dig a grave exactly as he had marked it out. He was then to drag the
body to the place and put it in the grave, which he was directed to
cover up, putting posts at the head and foot. Poles were to be placed
around and above the surface, the trees to be marked so that the place
could be easily found by his friends; the horses were to be caught, the
blankets and skins gathered up, with some special instructions about
the old rifle, and various messages to his family. All these directions
wer