180 pioneer life; OB, 



maple woods, or feed in the marshes bordering on 

 the streams. About the last of July they take to 

 the highlands, among the chestnut and white oak 

 woods, feeding on pea-vines ond other herbage. In 

 the hot weather of August they lie in the thiclcest 

 shades upon high hills, and at this time the manner 

 of hunting them is to watch by a spring, as near the 

 summit of a hill as may be found. They will come 

 at evening to drink, and fall an easy prey to the 

 hunter as he lies concealed within a few yards. The 

 last of September the deer begin to leave the thick- 

 ets and move from one place to another, and for 

 several months they are constantly in motion. The 

 hunter has only to station himself near one of their 

 paths, and shoot them as they pass. When the first 

 snows come they can be tracked to the places where 

 herds of them lie at night, and the hunter can keep 

 near a herd and pick them off with his rifle. 



In 1805 a colony consisting of about forty families 

 of English people, made a settlement between the 

 first and second forks of Pine Oreek. They cleared 

 about two hundred and fifty acres of land, and built 

 several good houses, but being unaccustomed to the 

 hardships and dangers of pioneer life, they aban- 

 doned the settlement after struggling along for five 

 year3. As soon as the coast was clear, the deer 

 from all the country around came to feed in the cul- 

 tivated fields and sunny pastures of the deserted 

 settlement. This afforded a capital opportunity for 

 hunters, and the place became a favorite resort for 

 them. We would lodge in the upper story of some 



