A hunter's life. 293 



CHAPTER IX. 



9o«* to Meadow Mountain with his son William, to hunt Bears — Chases an enor- 

 mous Bear — It outruns the Dogs, and gets off — Finds another, and, to wjilk with- 

 out noise, tal^es to the Water — Bear comes within five steps, when he kills him — 

 A week later, Hunts on the same ground — Wounds a large Bear — Desperate 

 Fight between Bear and Dog — Has to stab him seven times, to save dog's life — 

 B*ar strikes as he runs to stab him, catches his pants, and pitches him heels over 

 head — Courage of Dog when nearly killed — Continues the Hunt, and kills an- 

 other Bear and a Wild Turkey — Camps in the Woods — Goes to theOreen Glades 

 to make Hay and Hunt — Mode of Glade-Hunting — Feeding Stock in Glades — 

 B'^ar-fight with lame Dog — Fight between two Panthers in a Laurel-swamp— Sets 

 a Trap for Wolves, and catches a Bear — Fight with him, and kills him by stabbing 

 — ricks Chestnuts under the same Tree with a full-grown Bear — Kills him — On 

 the way home, kills another Bi'ar and a fine Buck — In the Spring, hunts for 

 Bears — Finds an old Bear and two Cubs — After a hard Fight, kills them all — En- 

 low meets him at Camp — Hunt next morning — Sees an old Bear playing — Waits 

 to see the fun, then shoots — Bear has a hard Fight with the Dogs — DiflBculty in 

 building a Barn — Hunts at Little Crossings — Kills three Deer — Camps in the 

 Woods — At night a Wolf comes to Camp — Kills him in the morning — Catches 

 three Bears at one fall of a Trap — Kills a fine Buck the same morning — Hunts 

 with George Kiley — Sees four Deer, and kills them all — Next day, a fine hunting- 

 gnow— Kills six Deer — Goes out, and kills two Deer before Breakfast — Desperate 

 Fight with a wounded Buck in Yough. River. 



In the year 1829, on the 10th day of May, that being 

 about the usual time to find the first bears feeding, I took 

 my son William with me to Meadow Mountain to have a 

 bear-hunt. Being too late to hunt that evening, we made 

 a fire under a large tree, and, as the evening was warm 

 and pleasant, we hobbled our horse in a glade of fine grass, 

 then took our suppers, laid down by our fire, and slept 

 soundly till morning. 



When we awoke, the birds on every side were singing 

 in the liveliest strains ; and, being in good health, it seemed 

 to me to be one of the sweetest mornings that had ever 

 dawned on me during my whole life. I left Wi Ilium to 



