804 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



me when I returned home, in order that I might start at 

 once to the Meadow Mountain, and begin my fall hunt. 

 My gun not being finished before night, I staid until the 

 next morning ; and when day-light appeared, I rose, and 

 started ofl' with a most beautiful rifle on my shoulder. I 

 went off with a light heart, as I had a fine day to travel ; 

 but though I hunted through good ground, I saw no 

 game. When I got home, it being about eleven o'clock, 

 I took my dinner with Mary, procured a sufficient quan- 

 tity of bread, and got ready for a great hunt. 1 tied my 

 provisions in my blanket, and started for the Meadow 

 Mountain at a rapid pace, as I had to travel about four- 

 teen miles to my camp, which I reached about sun-set. I 

 made a fire, to be in readiness for me when I came in, and 

 set off to a noted hill, which was known by the name of 

 Browning's Bear Hill, on account of my having killed so 

 many bears on it. 



I had a laurel swamp to cross, and as I came out of it 

 on to clear ground, I saw something in shape like a deer, 

 though I thought it was too large to be one. It was then 

 about dusk, and as I proceeded on, I looked at it again, 

 when the deer turned his head to gaze at me, and I saw 

 what I thought was the largest buck I had ever encoun- 

 tered. I turned my new gun on him, and took a fair aim, 

 but missed him. He stood still until I had nearly reloaded, 

 when he raised his tail, and galloped off before I could try 

 him again. I had so clearly missed him, that I was greatly 

 mortified ; and with my gun in hand, I returned to camp, 

 so mad and disappointed that I laid down without eating 

 any supper. During the night I awoke, and found it 

 snowing fast. 



"Well," said I, "when day-light returns, I will show 

 some of them that they will not all escape me as that old 

 fellow did." 



At iaybreak I got up, ate a cold bite, and started off 



