134 pioneer life; or, 



•both went in with a lighted match and a gun. After 

 going in gome distance, we found the opening so 

 narrow that it was very difficult to proceed, and we 

 threw in the match and beat a retreat. In about 

 fifteen minutes we heard a rustling in the cave, and 

 calling to my companion to stand clear, I stationed 

 myself where I could shoot them as they emerged. 

 As the first one made his appearance at the entrance, 

 I fired, and he fell dead. The other one rushed out 

 over him, and during the delay of reloading my gun, 

 he obtained quite a start of me. I set the dog after 

 him, and after chasing him two miles, he ran up a 

 tree, and I shot him. This was the last I killed until 

 the first of May, when I shot one which was very 

 large and fat, having been but a short time out of 

 its winter quarters. We estimated that it would 

 weigh five hundred pounds. In June I shot one that 

 was carrying off a hog. I hunted no more for about 

 three years. 



In 1 800 I removed to Black Walnut Bottoms, and 

 •the next year I went fire-hunting, accompanied by a 

 man named Clark. We pushed up the creek about 

 &ve miles, when we made a fire and lay there until 

 midnight. There was another party below us which 

 'had hunted down the river since nine o'clock without 

 success. We started about half-past twelve o'clock. 

 J sat in front for the first three miles, killing nothing, 

 when I exchanged places with Clark. He had been 

 seated ibrward but a short time when he said that 

 he saw twenty deer, he could count them by their 

 eyes. He observed that they were very long-legged, 



