300 
WALDEN. 
farm-house for the night, whence, having been well fed, 
they took their departure early in the morning. 
The hunter who told me this could remember one 
Sam Nutting, who used to hunt bears on Fair Haven 
Ledges, and exchange their skins for rum in Concord 
village; who told him, even, that he had seen a moose 
there. Nutting had a famous fox-hound named Burgoyne, 
— he pronounced it Bugine, — which my informant used 
to borrow. In the “ Wast Book ” of an old trader of this 
town, who was also a captain, town-clerk, and represen¬ 
tative, I find the following entry. Jan. 18th, 1742-3, 
“ John Melven Cr. by 1 Grey Fox 0 — 2 — 3 ; ” they 
are not now found here; and in his leger, Feb. 7th, 
1743, Hezekiah Stratton has credit “by 4 a Catt skin 
0 -— 1 — 44 ; ” of course, a wild-cat, for Stratton was a 
sergeant in the old French war, and would not have got 
credit for hunting less noble game. Credit is given for 
deer skins also, and they were daily sold. One man still 
preserves the horns of the last deer that was killed in 
this vicinity, and another has told me the particulars of 
the hunt in which his uncle was engaged. The hunters 
were formerly a numerous and merry crew here. I re¬ 
member well one gaunt Nimrod who would catch up a 
leaf by the road-side and play a strain on it wilder and 
more melodious, if my memory serves me, than any 
hunting horn. 
At midnight, when there was a moon, I sometimes 
met with hounds in my path prowling about the woods, 
which would skulk out of my way, as if afraid, and 
stand silent amid the bushes till I had passed. 
Squirrels and wild mice disputed for my store of nuts. 
There were scores of pitch-pines around my house, from 
