where the timber was rotten, and then grounded.

This was a chance which Finn lost no time in profiting by; out of the
fibrous substance of the prickly pear, he soon manufactured sufficient
rope to lash the two trees together, with great labour got them afloat,
and was carried down the stream with the speed of an arrow. He succeeded
in landing many miles below, on the eastern bank, but he was so bruised,
that for many days he was unable to move.

One day a report was spread in the neighbourhood of Port Gibson, that a
strange monster, of the ourang-outang species, had penetrated the
canebrakes upon the western banks of the Mississippi. Some negroes
declared to have seen him tearing down a brown bear; an Arkansas hunter
had sent to Philadelphia an exaggerated account of this recently
discovered animal, and the members of the academies had written to him
to catch the animal, if possible, alive, no matter at what expense. A
hunting expedition was consequently formed, hundreds of dogs were let
loose in the canebrakes, and the chase began.

The hunters were assembled, waiting till the strange animal should break
cover, when suddenly he burst upon them, covered with blood, and
followed closely by ten or fifteen hounds. He was armed with a heavy
club, with which he now and then turned upon the dogs, crushing them at
a blow. The hunters were dumb with astonishment; mounting their horses,
they sprang forward to witness the conflict; the brute, on seeing them,
gave a loud shout; one of the hunters, being terrified, fired at him
with his rifle; the strange animal put one of its hairy paws upon its
breast, staggered, and fell; a voice was heard: "The Lord forgive you
this murder!"

On coming near, the hunters found that their victim was a man, covered
with hair from head to foot; he was senseless, but not dead. They
deplored their fatal error, and resolved that no expense or attention
should be spared upon the unfortunate sufferer. This hunted beast, this
hairy man, was Finn. The wound, not being mortal, was soon cured; but he
became crazy, and did not recover his reason for eight months. He
related his adventures up to his quitting the Lost Prairie: after which
all was a blank. His narrative soon spread all over the States, and land
speculators crowded from every part to hear Finn's description of the
unknown countries. The government became anxious to establish new
settlements in these countries, and Finn was induced to commenc