this, but did not know the meaning of it One morning young Boone asked that he might go out, and had scarcely left the school-room when he saw a squirrel running over the trunk of a fallen tree.  True to his nature, he instantly gave chase, until at last the squirrel darted into a bower of vines and branches.  Boone thrust his hand in, and, to his surprise, laid hold of a bottle of whiskey.  This was in the direction of his master’s morning walks, and he thought now that he understood the secret of much of his ill-nature.  He returned to the school-room; but, when they were dismissed for that day, he told some of the larger boys of his discovery.  Their plan was soon arranged.  Early the next morning a bottle of whiskey, having tartar emetic in it, was placed in the bower, and the other bottle thrown away.  At the usual hour, the lads were sent out to play, and the master started on his walk.  But their play was to come afterward; they longed for the master to return.  At length they were called in, and in a little time saw the success of their experiment.  The master began to look pale and sick, yet still went on with his work.  Several boys were called up, one after the other, to recite lessons, and all whipped soundly, whether right or wrong.  At last young Boone was called out to answer questions in arithmetic.  He came forward with his slate and pencil, and the master began:  ‘If you subtract six from nine, what remains?’ said he.  ’Three, sir,’ said Boone.  ‘Very good,’ said the master; ’now let us come to fractions.  If you take three-quarters from a whole number, what remains?’ ‘The whole, sir,’ answered Boone.  ‘You blockhead!’ cried the master, beating him; ‘you stupid little fool, how can you show that?’ ‘If I take one bottle of whiskey,’ said Boone, ’and put in its place another in which I have mixed an emetic, the whole will remain if nobody drinks it!’ The Irishman, dreadfully sick, was now doubly enraged.  He seized Boone, and commenced beating him; the children shouted and roared; the scuffle continued until Boone knocked the master down upon the floor, and rushed out of the room.  It was a day of freedom now for the lads.  The story soon ran through the neighborhood; Boone was rebuked by his parents, but the schoolmaster was dismissed, and thus ended the boy’s education.”

“Thus freed from school, he now returned more ardently than ever to his favorite pursuit.  His dog and rifle were his constant companions, and day after day he started from home, only to roam through the forests.  Hunting seemed to be the only business of his life; and he was never so happy as when at night he came home laden with game.  He was an untiring wanderer.”