166 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
A PENNSYLVANIA HUNTER. 
The settlers in the new countries of the United States 
frequently met with interesting adventures connected with 
their woodland life, which, if collected, would form a 
very amusing volume. 
Mr. Hall, in his “ Legends of the West,” has com- 
menced a series of tales to elucidate the manners of the 
early inhabitants of that part of our country, and, far as he 
has gone, has, like an accomplished raconteur, perform- 
ed his task with much taste and talent The field before 
him is very extensive, and as his tales are told with great 
simplicity and beauty, I think his work will become, as it 
ought to be, very popular. 
The manners of the woodsmen of the northern and 
southern states differ considerably from each other, de- 
pending on their previous education and habits. I shall 
not, however, attempt to draw any comparisons, as they 
might by some be considered invidious. In the forests of 
Pennsylvania, since the peace of 1783, there have been no 
enemies to encounter worse than bears, wolves and pan- 
thers: but even these have sometimes led to incidents 
which gave evidence of a spirit that wanted nothing but 
excitement and opportunity to rank high in the scale of 
heroes — from Macedonia’s madman, &c. 
Nothing is more true than that we are the creatures of 
circumstances, and that many a quiet citizen has gone to 
his grave “ unhonoured and unsung,” who had, but never 
suspected that he had within himself qualities, which, in 
other situations, might have served to “ point a moral and 
adorn a tale.” I have known many persons of this kind 
among our American woodsmen. I will mention one who 
lives a few miles from me, Jonathan Elsworth; I mention 
his name, but it is not probable that he will ever know 
that he has got into the Cabinet or Natural History, 
and if he shall, he will be very much surprised to find 
himself there. 
The most frequent loss sustained by the new settlers is 
of their sheep, destroyed by “wild varmints,” as they 
are sometimes called, but of a very different kind from 
those with which that prince of honest fellows, Dandy 
Dinmont, was accustomed to “ enter” the numerous pro- 
geny of his far-famed Pepper and Mustard. By the way, 
I could tell you something about them; but revenons a nos 
moutons. 
Several sheep had been taken from Jonathan and his 
neighbours, and having heard something of the circum- 
stance, I desired him to tell me what had occurred. I 
should perhaps say, that Jonathan is one of the mildest 
spoken men that you can find. Look at him, and you 
would think that the most becoming garment for him 
would be “the drab coat of William Penn.” I say this, 
entertaining much respect for the said coat, especially if it 
be worn by an honest man, as it always ought to be. 
What is the story of the hunt which you had, Jonathan, 
after the marauders in your sheep fold? I have heard some- 
think about it: but tell it yourself. “ Why, no great mat- 
ter,” said Jonathan, in his peculiar sleepy tone, “it was 
not much.” Let me hear it, however. “Well, you 
heard, then, how something came and took our sheep on 
the North Branch. Nobody could tell what it was; for, 
you see, we could not find any tracks about, and the sheep 
were gone; not partly eaten, and the bones left; but all was 
gone; one one night, and another another night; and so I 
kind of guessed that it must be some wild animal that had 
its young in the neighbourhood, and that it took them off 
to its den. Well, I thought if it held on that way, it 
would take all the sheep; and so I thought I would take a 
hunt; for I guessed that its den could not be far away, 
whatever it was. But we, none of us, could tell what the 
nation it could be; for we could not find any tracks. Some 
guessed it was a bear; and some guessed it was a painter; 
and some guessed it was a wolf; but I did not think a wolf 
or painter would carry a sheep off without eating any of it 
where he caught it; and so I thought it was a bear; for a 
bear is a very handy fellow with his paws, and it would 
make you laugh to see one on a chesnut or beech tree, 
gathering nuts. But I guess you have seen them at it. 
So, as I thought it was not right for him to take all the 
sheep, I calculated that I had better take a hunt for him, 
or her, or all of them, and I started off in the morning, 
and went first one way, and then another way, where 
there were some rocks, and where a creature of the kind 
might harbour; but there was no signs of any thing at any 
of the places, and I thought I might give it up for a bad 
job that time; and so I made a turn to go home again. I 
was going along, thinking of nothing at all, when I came 
to a great pine tree that had been broken off near the root, 
and which lay right across the way I was going; and I just 
thought may be it would be a good shingle tree if it is 
sound, and I went by the butt like, to look at it: but it was 
all hollow, and I took notice that there were a sort of 
tracks, or paths like, all about it, and some bones, and I 
said, why I should not wonder if the darned thing was in 
this here tree. I peeped all round, but I could see nothing; 
and so I stooped down and put my head in the hole, and 
I heard something scratching and whining, and I said to 
myself, I vow they are here! And then it just struck me, 
how shall I get at them? At first I thought that the best 
way would be to stop up the hole with stones and sticks, 
till I could go and get an axe, and some of the neighbours 
to help cut them out. And then I thought if I stop up the 
