A COMFORTABLE EVENING. 293 



turkeys and lialf the bear's rib?. With strength well 

 recruited we set off for the dwelling of my old friend, 

 and reached it about two in the afternoon. It was 

 dark by the time when the skins were stretched and the 

 meat salted, when we sat round the fire and talked over 

 old times. 



We were tired and went betimes to bed, intendino; 

 to sally forth early next mornng ; but the rain poured 

 down the whole night, and we had forgotten to take 

 our blankets in from the fence, so that, it may be sup- 

 posed, they were rather damp ; however, we were not 

 vexed. We had plenty of provisions ; a little repose 

 would not hurt us, especially as we were lookmg forward 

 to fresh adventures. 



We made ourselves comfortable, provided wood, and 

 had placed ourselves in a half circle round the fire, 

 when little John ran in and told us that he was just 

 come from a neighbor's, who had sent out his negro 

 to count the little pigs, which a sow was bringing with 

 her out of the forest. After a little while he came in, 

 and said gravely, that he had counted nineteen, but 

 that one had run about so, that he could not count him. 

 Conw ell now commenced a story of his early days, in 

 the following words: — "About forty years ago my 

 parents moved into the Cumberland mountains ; and as 

 the land was good and fertile, and game plentiful, a 

 little settlement was soon made. We were very com- 

 fortable, grew as much Indian corn as we wanted, 

 had plenty of venison, bear, and wild honey, and we 

 could always procure powder, coffee, and whatever else 

 we wanted in exchange for our bears' fat, skins, &c. ; so 

 that every one would have allowed that we could not 

 25* 



