DEPARTURE FROM KELFER's FARM. 233 



tree, intending to come back for it ; meantime a back- 

 woodsman had set fire to the dry leaves in the neighbor- 

 hood, and just as he arrived he saw it, burnt through 

 and through, fall in two parts into the fire below. 



A man will sometimes move with his wife and chil- 

 dren, and all his goods, further into the forest, if the 

 grass about his house gets thin, so that he would be 

 forced to cultivate a little more maize for his cattle. 



Slowtrap spoke much of his father-in-law, who was 

 a keen bear-shooter, and made me long for the moun- 

 tains more than ever, by affirming that he intended to 

 go himself in a few weeks, that I might go with him, 

 and that he would introduce me to the old gentleman. 

 This drove all thoughts of the south out of my head, 

 and we settled on marching the following morning. 

 There is a saying that " short hair is soon brushed ; " 

 my baggage was ready in a few minutes. 



I was sorry to part with the Kelfers, who had been 

 so kind to me, and treated me as one of their family ; 

 but I hoped soon to see them again. 



The November morning broke cold and disagreeable 

 when I started with my companion. My baggage was 

 not very heavy ; I had on deer-skin leggings, and moc- 

 casins, a light hunting-shirt of summer stuff, secured 

 by a broad leather belt, bearing my tomahawk on the 

 right, and hunting-knife on the left side, and a tin cup 

 behind. Spare powder and lead were rolled up in my 

 blanket, with a small bag of roasted coffee, and a clean 

 shirt; a powder-horn and a leather shot-pouch com- 

 jjleted my equipment. My companion, though an old 

 sportsman, was not equipped for shooting ; but he was 

 pretty well loaded with other things. As I have 

 20* 



