A H U NTER'S L I FE. 119 



them till I got on the top of Meadow Mountain ; when 1 

 sat down to rest and listen, I soon heard the dogs bark- 

 ing at a great distance, when I descended the wild, steep 

 hills, till I came in sight of the bear. I saw that he was 

 standing upon a large limb of a tree, and crept slily along 

 until I got within a good distance for shooting ; when I 

 took a deliberate aim at his heart, and fired. Down he 

 came, so badly wounded that he could not fight. It was 

 then late in the evening, the sun being down, and I was at 

 least four miles from my horse. I commenced skinning 

 him, and by dark I had the hide off and the carcass cat in 

 two ; which I laid on a large fallen tree to cool. It was 

 dark, and a heavy cloud was coming up, with thunder and 

 lightning, and every appearance of a dreadful storm. I 

 groped about in the dark for some shelter, but could find 

 none. Seeing a large fallen tree, I took poles, and, laying 

 one end of each on the ground, I placed the others on 

 the log, and spread my bear's skin over them, with the 

 greasy side upwards. The skin was sufficiently large to 

 shelter me from the rain, and the tree protected the west 

 side of my lodge. By the time I had seated myself under 

 my shelter, the rain was pouring down in torrents, accom- 

 panied by vivid lightning, and such appalling peals of 

 thunder that the earth seemed to tremble under me. Two 

 trees were torn into splinters within a few rods of my 

 lodge. 



It continued raining till about midnight; and having 

 made no fire, I concluded to remain where I was for the 

 balance of the night. So, taking the bear-skin and wrap- 

 ping it round me, I lay down and slept soundly till day- 

 light. 



When I awoke I felt hungry ; but having left my pro- 

 visions at the camp with my horse, I immediately set off 

 thither. I lad at least half a mile to travel through a 

 dense laurel-swamp, which was so drenched with the heavy 



