A hunter's life. 271 



that could occur in wading across at that point would be 

 the loss of my gun and the venison, the first of which I 

 could certainly find after the water fell, I determined to 

 wade through. 



I procured a strong cane, grasped the two legs of the 

 deer with ray left hand, while the meat rested on the back 

 of my neck, and, holding the legs with a tight grip before 

 my face, I put my gun over the left shoulder, and struck 

 out into the sweeping cuiTent. 



I waded on until it began to come up to ray arm-pits ; 

 when, finding that all ray powder would be spoiled, I at- 

 tempted to turn back, but could not ; for when I raised 

 my cane, and attempted to turn my body around, the swift 

 current took rae off my feet. Being convinced that my 

 safety depended on proceeding, I kept on until the water 

 ran nearly up to my shoulders ; but, by taking very slow 

 and careful steps, I waded between two and three hundred 

 feet of that deep river, saving all that I carried except 

 half a pound of powder, and got home unharmed. 



I have no recollection of the events of the following 

 autumn until about its close, when I was hunting at the 

 Cherry-Tree Meadows. There fell a smart snow, and the 

 weather had become cold and stormy, when I set out one 

 morning before breakfast for a short hunt ; and, knowing 

 all the places where the deer would be hid from the pelt- 

 ing storm, that had been raging all the previous night, 

 with a high gale, which was still blowing, I proceeded to 

 one locality, and there discovered a trail, which took the 

 direction of another good position. 



I shifted my course, so as to bring the wind in my face ; 

 but on arriving at the place, I found the same trail had 

 passed ther3 also, and proceeded on to still another good 

 place. I again changed my direction, went round, and, 

 with the wind once more in my favor, I went to the last 

 piice, and found the same trail had befn there also A 



