180 FOETY-FOUR YEARS OP 



With as little noise as possible, I crept in as near as 1 

 flare go to her ; for I thought that if she should notice 

 rac she would at once jump at me. I then took the best 

 aim I could, shot her in the right place, and instantly killed 

 her. 



During a long life devoted to the chase, these were the 

 only holes that I ever went into beyond the reach of day- 

 light. I now know, and I knew then, that there was great 

 danger in doing so ; but if I undertook anything, I 

 thouglit it must be accomplished ; and if I got into a dan- 

 gerous scrape, the greater the danger appeared, the more 

 anxious I was to win the fight. I feel perfectly assured 

 that if a man undertakes a dangerous enterprise, with a 

 determination to succeed or to lose his life in the attempt, 

 he will do many things with ease, and unharmed, which a 

 smaller degree of energy never could or would have ac- 

 complished. 



This adventure ended that autumn hunt, and winter 

 closed in on us with heavy snows and very cold and hard 

 weather. I was again attacked with the rheumatic pains 

 and sciatica, so that, during three months, I was not able 

 to walk from my bed to the fire. But when the warm days 

 of May returned, I began to mend, and was again able to 

 walk. 



In 1812, our Government proclaimed war against Great 

 Britain. At that time. Levin Winder was Governor of 

 Maryland, and James Madison President of the United 

 States, and it became necessary to draft men from Mary- 

 land to repel British invasion, as a large English force lay 

 in Chesapeake Bay, threatening an attack every hour. 



There were two requisitions for men ; and I am not cer- 

 tain which was to be supplied from the company at Sel- 

 by's P{ rt. This occurred at the time the National turnpike 

 was being made through that neighborhood ; and every 

 man who Iiad resided ten days in the vicinity wa.s drafted 



