A hunter's LIFE. 31 



betray ray real sentiments. But it all passed off as a joke, 

 and our time was spent very agreeably till the old people 

 called out bedtime. 



We all parted, and I lay a long time before I could 

 persuade my eyes to close. Uncle's good advice had made 

 a deep impression on my mind ; and, seeing the benefit it 

 was intended to be to me, I concluded that from that time 

 forward I would never tell a lie. And I now declare so- 

 lemnly that I have never, to this day, told what I knew to 

 be false, except, perhaps, when I have been sometimes 

 called on to relate some mischievous tales that were going 

 the rounds ; when I have said I knew nothing of the mat- 

 ter ; and in this way, and this only, have I ever departed 

 from the known truth. 



And here I say, thanks be to the name and to the me- 

 mory of James Spurgin ; to whom, I am free to acknow- 

 ledge, together with another very kind friend of mine, of 

 whom I shall speak hereafter, I owe all that I now am. 

 However, nature overcame my feelings at last, and I knew 

 nothing of myself till the old folks called for the boys to 

 rise and make fires. Up we all bounded, and soon had 

 them roaring and crackling. Then for feeding the stock. 

 Snow had fallen during the night above knee-deep, and 

 the morning was stormy and very cold. But out we ran, 

 as if we would defy everything like snow and wind ; and 

 soon we had fifty or si.xty cattle fed with hay from the 

 fetack ; two pitching it off and one scattering it out. 



" Now for the horses ! " cried Jesse, as he started for 

 the barn. 



Off went Jonathan and myself; but Jesse had the start 

 of us, and was throwing the hay on to the floor ; and in 

 a few minutes the feeding was done, and we all gathered 

 around the fine fireside. By this time the girls had break- 

 fast ready, and all were seated ; the conversation being 

 rLOstly between the girls and myself, as to where I ex- 

 4 



