CHAPTER IX. 



ELK-HUNTING ON THE SUSQUEHANNAH 



When I lived on Kenzua Flats, in 1816, I went 

 to see Coruplanter, about catching some elk. He 

 said that I could not do it ; that no Indian of the Six 

 ]S"ations had done it, or any white man that he knew 

 of. He said that young elk three or four months old 

 had been caught, but no live, full-grown one could 

 be — they were lords of the forest. I told him that 

 I had caught or assisted in catching and leading in 

 three. He asked how we led them, and I informed 

 him. He said he did not know but it was possible, 

 but he did not believe I could take one that winter 

 on the Allegany, as he thought they were larger 

 and wilder than those on the Susquehannah. I told 

 him that if he would show me the track of an elk — 

 I did not care how large — the larger the better; I 

 would willingly wager a small sum of money that I 

 would bring one in alive. He said that he could 

 show plenty of elk-tracks. I told him to find a man 

 that I could hire, and I would employ him. He 

 brought a man who charged a dollar a day, which I 

 agreed to pay him on condition that he would find 

 a track. He said there was ho doubt but that we 

 could find one There was no rope to be orocured 



