> He wanted to live out his life in that small place in the woods, to die there among the trees, leaving nothing behind. Well, the people whose cabins he raide

> He wanted to live out his life in that small place in the woods, to die there among the trees, leaving nothing behind. Well, the people whose cabins he raided might not agree with the "leaving nothing behind" aspect. That would sound more convincing if he'd lived on wild berries and roots, fish from the streams, etc., taking no more than the environment could comfortably sustain. He didn't become a hermit; he became an outlaw in the forest, and we shouldn't be surprised that the sheriff eventually came after him.