It recalled to me the dark robber era of the Ohio River, and the tales of blood and strife which I had read of.
The cave itself is a striking object for its large and yawning mouth, but, to the geologist, presents nothing novel.

Its ample area appears to have been frequently encamped in by the buccaneers of the Mississippi.
We were told of narrow and secret passages leading above into the rock, but did not find anything of much interest.

The mouth of the cave was formerly concealed by trees, which favored the boat robbers; but these had been mostly felled.

As the scene of a tale of imaginative robber-life, it appeared to me to possess great attractions.
Our conductor steered for Smithfield, I think it was called, at the mouth of the Cumberland River, Tennessee, which was thought a favorable place for transferring the cargo from an ark to a keel-boat, to prepare it for the ascent of the Mississippi River; for we were now drawing closely towards the mouth of the Ohio.

Here ensued a delay of many days.
During this time, I made several excursions in this part of Tennessee, and always with the rifle in hand, in the use of which I had now become expert enough to kill small game without destroying it.