A HIJNTER'8 LIFS. 3B1 



CHAPTER XV. 



Dancribefl the Glades— Herding, and bad effects on Grass and Game — Karly Settlerf 

 — Mode of living — Hospitality of the Hunters — Voting — Story of Mr. Steward- 

 Describes the wild Animals of the Mountains — Bears, Wolves, and Panthers — 

 Rattlesnakes — Can charm Birds — Horse bitten by one — Dies in great agony — 

 Are killed by their own Bite— Kxperiment with one — One skinned alive — Attacks 

 a Rattlesnake on Yough. Iliver — It fights on Water as well as on Land — Hangs 

 one — Kills eighty-fnur at a Den — Their Fangs and Poison — Remedies for the Bile 

 — Mode of training Hunting-Dogs — Trout-Kishing, Baits, etc. 



Having said something about the glades, I think it will 

 not be amiss in this place to give a brief description of 

 what was then a most beautiful country ; together with that 

 of a few settlers, at the time when I first became acquainted 

 with them. 



This delightful valley lies between the great Back-Bone 

 Mountain and the western hills of the Youghiogheny River, 

 and covers an area of ten or twelve miles. This moun- 

 tain commences at the Savage River, one of the tributaries 

 of the Potomac, and runs from north-east to south-west, 

 while the Hoop-Pole Ridge begins at the narrows of Deep 

 Creek, and runs nearly parallel with the Back-Bone. All 

 the waters on the eastern side of this mountain fall into 

 the Potomac, and all those on the western side into the 

 Youghiogheny, which empties into the Ohio River. 



The glades are, or then were, clear, level meadows, co- 

 vered with high grass, which was altogether different from 

 what is there produced now, being of a much better char- 

 acter, growing nearly as high as rye, vdth a blue tassel at 

 the top. The blades were set very thick on the stalk, to 

 the height of three or four feet, I have often seen that 

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