A hunter's life, 113 



was such a tempting mark, that I shot him, and he fell 

 dead within sight of the house. 1 dragged this one home 

 whole, and was in season for a late breakfast ; having 

 secured two large, fat bucks, equal to a small beef in 

 value. 



A few days after this, a fine morning succeeded a 

 showery night, and as there was a sufficiently strong wind 

 blowing to keep the game from hearing my footsteps, I 

 told Mary I would take a hunt. She rose early, and had 

 breakfast ready before day-light. I told her the day 

 would be a good one for hunting, and that she need not 

 look for me before night. She offered me some bread and 

 meat for my dinner ; but as I did not want to be encum- 

 bered, I did not take it, and off I started, light footed and 

 light hearted. 



On I went, from place to place, seeing thousands of 

 signs of bears and deer, but not one living animal. Tired 

 with looking for and not finding any game, I got out of 

 humor, and determined to cross the large valley between 

 the Negro Mountain and the Meadow Mountain, which 

 was four or five miles wide. Through the valley I went, 

 though I had some long laurel swamps to cross ; but I 

 finally reached the Meadow Mountain, without starting 

 any game. I was then eight or ten miles fi-om home, 

 when it began to rain ; and, provoked with my bad luck, 

 I turned my course for home. 1 had traveled but a short 

 time before the rain was mixed with snow, and presently 

 there was nothing but snow falling. Having, as usual, 

 left my hat at home, in order that I should have a fair 

 chance to see everything that came in my way, I soon 

 found my face and hair full of the drifting snow. Not 

 content with walking, I ran some distance, and had, as I 

 thought, nearly got to one of the large beds of laurel, 

 when I suddenly came to a steep hill, and heard the roar 

 of a waterfall below. "What can this be?" said I to 

 10* H 



