ahunter'slife. 21 



Banls, partridges, wild bees, and in all the streams trout 

 without number. 



October being the beginning of the hunting season, my 

 uncle commenced his task of laying in the winter's provi- 

 sions : some days he would hunt for deer, other days for 

 bees ; and, as ho was most successful in bee-hunting, he 

 spert more of his time in hunting bees than he did in 

 purvsuiug the deer. Soon our table was abundantly sup- 

 plied with venison and honey ; and the high, fresh tame 

 grass caused our cows to give large quantities of milk, 

 from which aunt, who was a very industrious woman, made 

 plenty of butter ; and frequently a fat turkey being added 

 to our table store, we began to think that there was not 

 such a place to be found in all creation. 



Things went on well enough until the news came to us 

 that General St. Clair's whole army had been defeated and 

 cut to pieces. This was such frightening news, that aunt 

 was almost ready to leave all, and seek some better place 

 of safety ; and indeed I believe uncle too was a little 

 frightened. Be that as it may, he continued but a short 

 time until he took uj) his march again for the " Blooming 

 Rose." In that neighbourhood there were some thirty or 

 forty families, who were not so easily frightened. Here 

 we continued until the next spring, being 1792; when 

 uncle moved into Monongahela county, in Virginia, to a 

 brother that he had living there. His name was James 

 Spurgin : he was a business man, yet without any educa- 

 tion, but managed his business well, and soon became a 

 wealthy man. Those two married sisters, who were also 

 sisters to my mother. 



Here we all lived on the same farm. Uncle James's 

 family consisted of five children, two sons and three 

 daughters, of whom I became dotingly fond ; and when 

 our family lef theirs, I was sorely afflicted. We did not 



