While there in the midst of the flour barrels piled up all around him, the horses took fright at some strange sight which they encountered, and in a terrible scare rushed down a steep hill, turned a sharp corner, broke the tongue of the wagon and both of the axle-trees, and whirled the heavy barrels about in every direction.  The escape of David from very serious injuries seemed almost miraculous.  But our little barbarian leaped from the ruins unscathed.  It does not appear that he had ever cherished any conception whatever of an overruling Providence.  Probably, a religious thought had never entered his mind.  A colt running by the side of the horses could not have been more insensible to every idea of death, and responsibility at God’s bar, than was David Crockett.  And he can be hardly blamed for this.  The savages had some idea of the Great Spirit and of a future world.  David was as uninstructed in those thoughts as are the wolves and the bears.  Many years afterward, in writing of this occurrence, he says, with characteristic flippancy, interlarded with coarse phrases: 

“This proved to me, if a fellow is born to be hung he will never be drowned; and further, that if he is born for a seat in Congress, even flour barrels can’t make a mash of him.  I didn’t know how soon I should be knocked into a cocked hat, and get my walking-papers for another country.”

The wagon was quite demolished by the disaster.  Another was obtained, the flour reloaded, and they proceeded to Baltimore, dragging the wreck behind them, to be repaired there.  Here young Crockett was amazed at the aspect of civilization which was opened before him.  He wandered along the wharves gazing bewildered upon the majestic ships, with their towering masts, cordage, and sails, which he saw floating there He had never conceived of such fabrics before.  The mansions, the churches, the long lines of brick stores excited his amazement.  It seemed to him that he had been suddenly introduced into a sort of fairy-land.  All thoughts of home now vanished from his mind.  The great world was expanding before him, and the curiosity of his intensely active mind was roused to explore more of its wonders.

One morning he ventured on board one of the ships at a wharf, and was curiously and cautiously peering about, when the captain caught sight of him.  It so happened that he was in need of a sailor-boy, and being pleased with the appearance of the lad, asked David if he would not like to enter into his service to take a voyage to London.  The boy had no more idea of where London was, or what it was, than of a place in the moon.  But eagerly he responded, “Yes,” for he cared little where he went or what became of him, he was so glad of an opportunity to see more of the wonders of this unknown world.