86 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



She said all this in such a playful way, that it raised a 

 hearty laugh ; and the conversation was changed to a dis- 

 cussion as to what should be done to supply us with pro- 

 visions. It was agreed that Mary should stay with my 

 mother, while I went out and worked for flour and meat. 

 So off I went, on Tuesday morning, and worked till Friday 

 evening ; when I had earned two bushels of wheat ; but I 

 could get no meat without money. 



On Saturday morning, as I had some arrangements to 

 make at my little cabin, it was agreed that my step-father 

 should go to the mill for me, while Mary and I fixed up 

 our cabin, so that it should be ready for us to go into on 

 Monday. We finished our job before dinner-time, and we 

 had been all day thinking how we should get provisions 

 with which to commence keeping house. 



I had a wooden trap, which I had made the previous 

 fall, for the purpose of catching coons and wildcats in ; 

 and I had made it very strong. In the afternoon, I said 

 to Mary and my mother that I would go and see my trap, 

 and perhaps shoot a wild turkey. I started off for the 

 trap ; and as I came near the place I saw a flock of wild 

 turkeys flying up into the trees to roost. I left them till 

 it began to grow a little dusk, when I crawled up and shot 

 one, which proved to be a fine fat bird. "Well," said I 

 to myself, " this will be a beginning for us on Monday, 

 anyhow ; and I will see how my trap comes on. " 



I had set it in a pine grove, which was very dark ; but 

 when I went to examine it I found it down ; and as it was 

 too dark to see what was in it, I took a small pole and 

 poked it in, when I soon found that I had to contend with 

 a large bear. Jobbing him set him mad for fighting, and 

 he raised the trap up ; but as he attempted to come out 

 it fell again. I saw that it was too light, so I jumped ou 

 i* and my weight made it too heavy for him. After seve 

 ral trials, finding he could do nothing, he became still; 



