AN UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT. 99 



without a fire. In order to avoid the bears and pan- 

 thers, I had climbed up a tree, but the wind was too 

 sharp to make such an airy perch endurable. At 

 length I found a hollow tree, crept in, covered my feet 

 with my game-bag, placed my gun on my left side, and, 

 with my knife in my right hand, I passed one of the 

 most uncomfortable nights of my life. I heard the 

 howling of the wolves, and once the roar of a panther 

 in the distance ; but nothing came to disturb me, and 

 the bright morning sun saw me early on the march, 

 for my couch was not inviting enough to detain me. 

 At length, what music to my ears ! the crow of a cock 

 and bark of a dog announced the neighborhood of a 

 farm. I soon perceived the thin, blue smoke of a 

 chimney ascending into the beautiful clear sky, and, 

 with a quickened pace made towards it, hoping soon 

 to refresh both body and soul. 



The good people gave me such a hospitable reception, 

 and placed so much on the table, that, notwithstanding 

 my fearful appetite, there Avas a great deal more than 

 I could eat. Fortunately, the farmer had a stock of 

 gunpowder, and filled my powder-horn for a quarter of 

 a dollar. 



As I was about to depart, he asked if I would not 

 like to join a shooting party ; several of his neighbors 

 were coining this morning to search a thicket not far 

 from lii.-i house, where they expected to find a hear 

 which had robbed him of many of his pi;_ r ~. 1 did not 

 long hesitate, cleaned my gun, loaded (lie left hand 

 barrel with ball and the right with buck-shot, and .-o 

 wa< ready for any thing. AVe had not long to wail, 

 and all mounted on horseback. We. soon arrived at 



