110 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OP 



I wished, and shot him througli the heiid. I hiid him 

 away carefully, and went home considerably after night. 

 When the two sisters found that I was going- to the fish- 

 ing-ground with my horse, for the bear, they determined 

 to ride on the animal to the creek, and fish for trout, while 

 I would bring the bear. 



In the morning we set out, — Jane, Mary, and our little 

 daughter, Dorcas, who had been named after my only 

 sister, — and in due time we arrived at the creek. 



There was a little shelter, made of pine bushes, that 

 were very dry, and I had to make a fire to keep the gnats 

 from the child while the girls fished for trout. I made the 

 fire, then stood my rifle against the tree which formed the 

 mainstay of the camp, hung my bullet-pouch, containing 

 half a pound of powder and twenty or thirty balls, on the 

 muzzle of the gun, and, after showing the girls how and 

 where to fish, I went for the bear. I loaded him on the 

 horse, and had returned almost within sight of the fire, 

 when I heard an explosion like that from a heavy blast in 

 a stone-quarry. 



I hurried to the place, where stood the two girls, greatly 

 frightened, and my ammunition was blown to the four 

 winds. While the girls were busily fishing, the fire had 

 crept along in the dry grass, and got into the bush-camp, 

 which was burned up, and thence the fire had communi- 

 cated to my powder-horn. My gun was considerably in- 

 jured, but not so much as to hinder me from using it. 

 The child having become tired, Mary had taken her away 

 not more than two minutes before the blow-up. 



The girls having caught as many trout as they wished, 

 and the burning having so marred their pleasure that they 

 would not fish any longer, we all went home. The girls 

 ■vere rather out of heart with fishing ; their faces, hands, 

 and i nns being so badly stung with gnats and mosquitoes, 

 that they would not try the sport again. 



