THIRTY YEARS A HUNTER. 45 



called out to me, with an oath, to stop, as a rattle- 

 snake lay coiled up beneath me. I was now about 

 six feet from the top ; to return was impossible, and 

 it was with difficulty that I could maintain my posi- 

 tion. I called to Strawbridge to throw the axe at the 

 snake, which he did, and fortunately hit it so as to 

 disable it. But a new calamity awaited me. A 

 swarm of yellow wasps which were disturbed by our 

 sudden intrusion upon their premises, came at me, 

 striking me in my face and breast. I let go my hold 

 and dropped to the ground, striking within three feet 

 of the snake. Upon examination I found I was not 

 much hurt, and I called to Strawbridge to come 

 down. He refused, being afraid of the wasps. I 

 looked around and found a long sycamore pole, which 

 I cut, and placed against the rocks a short distance 

 from where 1 had descended. He came down, and 

 we started for the camp, which was about four miles 

 distant. When we arrived we found four companies 

 of surveyors there. The next Monday morning, 

 which was about the 5th or 6th of August, I was 

 discharged and returned home. This was the last of 

 my surveying, exploring elk countries and searching 

 for elk-licks that year. 



