374 A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH. 



up with us. Poor S. was panting many yards behind, and was talking 

 of purchasing a horse. We had now, however, a tolerably good road, and 

 in the evening got to a house where I inquired if we could have a supper 

 and beds. When I came out, Victor was asleep on the grass, Mr Rose 

 looking at his sore toes, and S. just finishing a jug of monongahela. 

 Here we resolved that, instead of going by Henderson, we should take a 

 cut across to the right, and make direct for Smith's Ferry, by way of 

 Highland Lick Creek. 



Next day we trudged along, but nothing very remarkable occurred 

 excepting that we saw a fine black wolf quite tame and gentle, the owner 

 of which had refused a hundred dollars for it. Mr Rose, who was an 

 engineer, and a man of taste, amused us with his flageolet, and frequent- 

 ly spoke of his wife, his children, and his fireside, which increased my 

 good opinion of him. At an orchard we filled our pockets with October 

 peaches, and when we came to Trade Water River we found it quite low. 

 The acorns were already drifted on its shallows, and the Wood Ducks 

 were running about picking them up. Passing a flat bottom, we saw a 

 large Buffalo Lick. Where now are the bulls which erst scraped its 

 earth away, bellowing forth their love or their anger ? 



Good Mr Rose's feet became sorer and sorer each succeeding day ; 

 Mr S. at length nearly gave up ; my son had grown brisker. The 20th 

 was cloudy, and we dreaded rain^ as we knew the country to be flat and 

 clayey. In Union County, we came to a large opening, and found the 

 house of a Justice, who led us kindly to the main road, and accompanied 

 us for a mile, giving us excellent descriptions of brooks, woods and barrens, 

 notwithstanding which we should have been much puzzled, had not a 

 neighbour on horseback engaged to shew us the way. The rain now fell 

 in torrents, and rendered us very uncomfortable, but at length we reached 

 Highland Lick, where we stumbled on a cabin, the door of which we 

 thrust open, overturning a chair that had been placed behind it. On a 

 dirty bed lay a man, a table with a journal or perhaps a ledger before him, 

 a small cask in a corner near him, a brass pistol on a nail over his head, 

 and a long Spanish dagger by his side. He rose and asked what was 

 wanted. " The way to a better place, the road to Suggs's."" " Follow the 

 road, and you'll get to his house in about five miles !" My party were 

 waiting for me, warming themselves by the fires of the salt-kettles. The 

 being I had seen was an overseer. By-and-by we crosssed a creek ; the 



