assist me in constructing a wilderness shantie as a lodging or dwelling place.

mountain, which

We drove them across the was all a wilderness, and then over the Broad mountain (which was seven miles wide on the top) and down into the valley. We had to drive them through a number of pine swamps, which were deep and miry. We had no road, not even a path. I recollect we had to cross and recross the Schuylkill river eight or ten times in the short distance of one mile. At a considerable distance up the valley we halted, and about 300 yards from the great road that passed up the valley, they built me (by the side of the trunk of a very large lying tree,) a kind of a shed-fashioned house. They made a number of puncheons, and with these they built my house in the following manner. They laid a log on the ground at the distance of eight or ten feet from the large tree and parallel with it, on these two they pinned puncheons, for a roof; they then closed in the sides with puncheons also, leaving a kind of a door-way for me to go in and out at. In this I homed, cooked my victuals, and I slept in it also. This done, the hog owners returned home, leavme a kind of a Robinson Crusoe, or a Selkirk, "monarch of all I could' survey ;" and besides, being now a hog-boss, I was like Crusoe, boss pretty much of the wilderness, going about to and fro, and up and down unmolested, like to old Nick when he was persecuting good old Job. Here I homed between one and two months happily and undisturbed, except by the wolves, &c. Almost every night whilst I staid in this wilderness, I could hear them at the distance of two or three hundred yards from my hotel, growling and howling as if a pack of hounds were on the chase after a fox. Bears will attack, kill and devour hogs, but wolves will not.

*Puncheons are a broad kind of rough plank made out of large timber by splitting. The logs are cut 6, 8, 10 or 12 feet in length and are then split up into broad pieces 3 and 4 inches in thickness. When floors are laid with them in Cabins, the upper sides are generally hewn somewhat strait and smooth. These are then called puncheons,

Had my charge been sheep instead of hogs, the wolves would have attacked them without any ceremony. I had, therefore, upon the score of my charge (hogs) nothing to fear, and as to myself, I only wished that they would come near enough to enable me to get a shot at them. Every morning after preparing and eating my breakfast, my duty was to visit my hogs. I called them to me, and after collecting them thus, threw them a little corn and then counted my flock. One morning I missed two that belonged to a poor man in the neighborhood from which I had brought my drove, and whom I had told to bring them in to the hog rendezvous, and I would take them out to the valley and bring them back again free of cost. After I missed these two hogs, I took my gun upon my shoulder and started off in search of them. I crossed the broad mountain, and at about ten miles distance from my quarters, I came to a tavern. Here I enquired whether hogs such as I described had been seen about there, and was told that none of the description I gave, had been seen. I staid at the tavern all night. There had fallen a snow during the night of about two inches in depth. I had beheld many Deer, but had never been able to get a shot at any but one. In the morning I told the landlord that I believed I would go out awhile in search of deer, that there being snow, I might possibly come across a deer-track, and that I should not stay out very long. It was not very cold, this I recollect, from the fact of my not having any stockings on. I had not gone very far until I fell upon the track of a buck,* which I followed slowly, thinking to come up with him, but it began to thaw, and the snow was then melted. I lost his track, and then gave up the chase. By this time a great fog had arose, and I thought to return to the tavern, but could not find the way. travelled about until it was near night, and then heard a shot. This is a rule among hunters; when one is sup

I

* Buck is a name given to the male deer, whilst the female is called a Doe.

posed to be lost, a rifle is fired three times in succession, the lost one, if he hears the shots, fires his gun in answer, and so they proceed, each continuing to fire as they near each other, until they shall be able to meet.

My rifle having got wet with the water still upon the bushes, I could not give an answer. I ran as fast as I could towards where the shots were fired, and blew loudly upon my charger,* thinking that the person shooting might possibly hear me. It seemed to me that in the midst of all my exertions I was getting further off from the reports of the gun. I stopped and tried to strike up a fire, but my strivings were all in vain, my tow being wet, I flashed away half of my powder, and was forced to give it up. It then began to rain, and the night became very dark. I went into a pine swamp, and sat me down at the root of a large pine tree. The night became that dark, that I could not see my hand before my face. I then covered myself up as well as I could with my coat, and sought a cure for all my troubles in sleep. Still ruminating, I found fatigue and hunger had no agency in lulling me to sleep. Owing to the crowd of thoughts with which my mind was filled, I got completely past my sleep. Sometime in the night I heard something coming at about three or four rods distance from me. As it trod upon the brush or sticks lying in its way, I could hear them cracking and snapping as when one would break sticks over the knee. At this moment I did not know what to do. I could not fire my rifle, or else I would have fired towards it. I then thought I would halloo, and did so, and very loud too. I then sat as still as a mouse and listened, but could not hear it move in any direction. Being very much fatigued, as well as hungry and cold, and the night far advanced, I began to doze in spite of my every exertion to keep awake. I at length fell asleep, and when I awoke for the first time, I found it was broad day light, and I do assure my readers that I felt extremely glad that it was so. In conversation afterwards with an old

*A tin tube or measure closed at one end, and of a size to contain powder sufficient for a rifle load.

and experienced hunter, I gave him a history of the affair. He was of opinion that it was a Panther. He described their conduct in exact accordance with what I had heard on that night. He said that by scent it had gotten on my track, and was following me. He said that when I heard it breaking the brush or sticks under its feet, it was then scenting or smelling around in search of what it had looked for as its prey, and that when I halloed, it had squatted, ready for a jump. He stated that had I halloed once more, it would have sprung upon me instantly, but that I having sat so still afterwards, it became intimidated and ashamed or shy, and in the course of a while thereafter had sneaked softly and quietly away.

From the place where I slept all night, I could not tell what course to, steer. I climbed up into a tree, thinking that I might discover the road that passed by the tavern, but I was unable to see far in any direction on account of the great fog with which the whole forest was enveloped. I came down the tree again, and thought that my best plan would be to keep down the branch (spring rivulet,) for, as I thought it might run into the Schuylkill river, and by following the stream I might finally be able to get to a settlement, for I altogether despaired of being able to find my cabin. Upon a review of this design, I thought it would not do, as the rivulet, in its zigzag course, might run a hundred miles or more before it would (through deep creeks) empty itself into the Schuylkill. I travelled about for some considerable time, and could find no road, nor prospect of one. I then returned to the same place where I had left in the morning. By this time the fog began to break away, and I climbed up into the top of the same tree and looked eagerly in all directions, and thought I could see an opening or clear spot away in the distance upon the top of the mountain. I descended from the tree and pushed on as hard as I could for the opening I had beheld, and found that it was the opening through which the road passed. Having found the road, I was now as much perplexed as ever, for it

was near night, and I did not know which end of the road to take to enable me to reach the tavern. I reasoned the matter closely in my own mind, and resolved to take the end, which I did, thinking at the same time that if I missed the tavern I might find my cabin. After concluding thus, I set out upon the run and heeled it as hard as I could, which I suppose was not at a very fast gait, for I was almost exhausted with fatigue and for the want of food, having been now almost two days and a night without any thing to eat. I happened to take the right end of the road, and found myself approaching the tavern just as it was getting dark. After recognizing it as the tavern in the opening in the wilderness as I approached, I was greatly rejoiced indeed. The family was very glad to see me, as they all believed from the first that I was lost, and feared that I would perish. The landlord asked me if I had heard the report of a gun. I told him that I had; he then told me that the firing I had heard was done by himself, in order that I might have been enabled to find my way back again. I told him that I had done my best, and had ran as fast as I could to try to make for where I had heard the firing, but could not do it. I then told him that I was very hungry. The women hurried and prepared some victuals for me, and being very hungry, I ate as a starving man, so greedily and so much, that they made me cease, telling me at the same time that I would injure myself, and make myself sick. If I had never thought so before, I thought it now, that victuals were worth the trouble at least of eating them. Next day I pushed on for my residence in the wilderness, and found upon my arrival that all was safe as when I had left it. Upon arriving, I fell to eating and continued to do so until I completely satisfied my appetite; after doing of which, I went out in search of my hogs, and found all doing well. In a few days after my return, the poor man's two hogs which were lost, and which had also lost me, came back and joined themselves to the flock again.

One night, sometime after I had returned, I cooked