HUNTED WITH FLAILS AND PITCHFORKS. 



This hunt was engaged in by many men who col- 

 lected from far and near on a given day. The majority 

 were armed with tlint-lock guns, but many in the ranks 

 were armed with no such \\eai)'ius, ami tlu'\ cai-ricd 

 axes, pitchforks, clubs, and even flails. Tliese rude 

 weapons were made good use of on the march and in 

 the round up one man, Sylvant Decker, covered him- 

 self with honor by despatching two Bears with his 

 Hail, but only after a liard battle with each animal. A 

 flail in the hands of Jacobus VanSickle, was used to 

 crush the head of an immense buck as it attempted to 

 riisli by: j;;niiit. sna(j])iiii;- \\'(il\-cs, and naine dcvoin-iii.u 

 I'\ix( s wci-c killed in iiiiiiil)ers with cliilis and ]pilcli 

 forks. 



COL. STEVENS' FAMOUS HUNT. 



Til 1S18 Colonel Adin Stevens conceived tlie idea of 

 a bi.i,' hunt. lie collected together early in the moi-ninj; 

 of December -Ith, abcuit 1,000 settlers, who formed in 

 line and marciing from all directions, covering a large 

 circle of territory, they proceeded, making all the noise 

 T>ossible by blowin.c- horns, etc., to a high knoll of 

 abont three aci'es, wliicli was reached late in the after- 

 noon. 



"As the hunters drew in around this knoll they killed one 

 hundred and fifty deer, fifteen bears, fifty wolves, and no end 

 of foxes. Thirty deer escaped through one gap in the ranks. 

 Among Colonel Stevens' hunters was Major Thereon Darling, 

 a veteran of the Revolution. He was a man over six feet 

 tall. In the chase of one of the deer on the knoll, a big doe. 

 Major Darling stood still, waiting for the deer to be driven his 

 wa.v. He stood with his long legs wide apart. Suddenly the 

 doe started toward him. ducked her head and rushed between 

 the Major's legs, that being the most available opening she 

 saw for escape. The contact threw the Major forward on the 



