A hunter's LIFE. 161 



neighborhood of James, visited him ; when the latter com- 

 plained to him that his grain would all rot in the field for 

 want of means to have it cut ; whereupon the old gentle- 

 man took out a ten-dollar note and gave it to him, to 

 enable him to have his grain cut — thus furnishing bread 

 to the family of his bitter enemy. 



This, and many other like charitable acts, coming under 

 my immediate notice, aroused feelings of love towards 

 liim in my heart that will never be eradicated while I live ; 

 and, moreover, it proves to me that there are good men to 

 be found in all parties. Colonel Lynn was an old Fede- 

 ralist ; and little as I like that old party, I still will say, 

 that a better heart never beat in any man's breast than 

 throbbed in his. He lived till a squabble arose between 

 the United States and England about our ship Chesa- 

 peake, which was seized, and her crew impressed on board 

 English ships-of-war, which were sent out to fight the 

 French. This quarrel terminated in a declaration of war 

 by the United States. My old friend died while the dis- 

 pute was going on ; but in a conversation with him on the 

 subject of the war, he said to me : " Browning, do all you 

 can to prevent the war ; but if it comes, do all you can to 

 bring it to an honorable and speedy close ; after which, 

 continue to advocate your old political principles." And 

 although I long since ceased to support his political prin- 

 ciples, I do know that a better patriot and a truer man to 

 his country never lived. 



That fall I did not make much of a hunt, only killing 

 two bears and sixteen deer. By this time I had become 

 renowned as a great bear hunter, and there were some who 

 envied me for my skill. Having no time to hunt that 

 season, I told Mary I would take a day, and set a bear- 

 trap, or pen, as it is called. So one morning I set out 

 before day, in order that no person should know where I 

 had gone, telling Mary that, if any one inquired for me, 

 14* L 



