FARMING AT FOURCHE LE FAVE—A BACKWOODS “FROLIC”—RESIDENCE AT KELFER’S FARM—SCHOOLS—HUNTING EXCURSION. The Ohio—Partnership in farming—Fourche Le Fave—Mr. Kelfer—Congress land—My cooking operations—Pig-killing—Decoys used in shooting turkeys—Shooting by night—Salt licks—Mosquitoes and ticks—Dissensions on our farm—A grand “frolic”—Canoe voyage through the woods—Sickness—Kelfer and his family—Sessions at Fourche le Fave—Shooting expedition with Slowtrap—Reserve of the Americans—Adventures of the early settlers with Indians—Raccoon shooting—Bee-hunting with bait—Tempest—Panther-hunting. Having received a letter from Rutkin, in Louisiana, with whom I had passed some pleasant days, inviting me to visit him, and intending to return to Arkansas to shoot (but to the hills in the west, instead of the swamps), and having nothing to detain me, I accepted the invitation, and taking a hearty leave of all friends, I was soon once more on my way to the south. The steamer “Artisan,” with cattle, poultry, flour, whiskey, and passengers, carried me down the beautiful Ohio. It was very cold; and as we lay at Louisville, taking in more cargo, it began to snow hard. By the time we had reached the mouth of the Ohio, the snow was eight inches deep, and continued so as far as The nights were very dark, and the boat landed me seven or eight miles above the right place, so I had to walk to Rutkin’s, leaving my baggage at a plantation, and calling for it next day. Rutkin gave me a cordial reception. He was on the point of selling his hotel at Pointe CoupÉe, and removing, with all his family, to Arkansas, as the climate of Louisiana did not agree with them. Two friends, Haller and Kean, were to join him, the former with a family. Early in January we went up the stream in the steamer “Amazon” to the mouth of the Arkansas, and started from thence by one of the smaller boats that run from its mouth, through the dark forests, to the western forts. Our first point was Little Rock, from whence we intended to go to Fort Smith, on the west frontier, leaving the women and children till a house was prepared for them. Rutkin had a capital of about 4,000 dollars, and the others 0,000 amongst them. It was arranged that we should all settle on our tract of land, and cultivate it together, R. taking a stock of goods for trading, which was also to be carried on in common, he receiving four per cent. for his outlay. As the money was at his disposal, he was to a certain degree our chief, but we were all on good terms with each other. We heard Fourche le Fave very highly spoken of, and particularly the land in its neighborhood. We went to look at the place, and were well received by a settler there, Mr. Kelfer. He rode over the country It has to be noticed that this was Congress land; that is, it belonged to the United States government, and the first settler on it has a prior right to purchase it, called in American law “preËmption right.” The advantages of this system to the settler are as follows: he may settle on the land and cultivate it as his own, no one having a right to turn him off, till it has been surveyed and announced for sale in the Government Gazette. He then has the right of purchasing a quarter section, or 160 acres, or even as little as forty acres at the rate of a dollar and a quarter an acre, even though another should bid a larger sum for it. This right Wilson transferred to us with his “improvements.” After concluding the purchase, we all came to Little Rock. Rutkin and Keen went to Louisiana to bring over the families, while Haller and I bought provisions, and returned to Fourche le Fave. Little Rock was much Our house being near the river, we required a boat, partly to carry out goods from Little Rock to the place of destination, thirty miles up the Arkansas, and forty miles up the Fourche le Fave, and partly to carry us occasionally across the river. We obtained a very good one for ten dollars, loaded it with flour, potatoes, coffee, sugar, some carpenter’s tools, and a puppy that had been given me, and which I meant to break in, and rowed away in good spirits towards our new home. We entered the Fourche le Fave on the evening of the second day, hoping to reach a house, said to be about seven miles up the stream; but we could not find the smallest spot fit for a human habitation, and landed on a projecting rock, quite tired, between nine and ten o’clock. As it had rained all day, this was the only clean spot we could find; and the stone was so small that we were obliged to rest our feet in the boat, to keep them out of the water. Next day it rained harder, and we were very glad to get to a house before dark, where we were in some measure protected from the tremendous rain. I say in some measure, because the roof was none of the best, the rain dropping on my face and neck; luckily, before dark, I had espied an old cotton umbrella in a corner (no common article in a block-house), and slept comfortably enough for the rest of the night under its shelter. We arrived next evening at Kelfer’s farm, where we were hospitably received, and reached our place of destination on the day following. The four naked walls Meantime, my hand had got better. The weather set in very cold, and we resolved to kill and salt the pigs we had bought, weighing about 200 pounds each. A young American, whom we had engaged to help us, cut down a large sassafras tree, and hollowed out half a dozen troughs, five for the meat, and one for the lard. The neighbors were called in to help, the pigs driven I was now well enough to shoot again, and had good At the end of two months, Kean arrived early one morning with the news that Rutkin’s and Haller’s families were in a large flat-bottomed boat, at the mouth of the Fourche le Fave. Haller took the boat immediately to join them, leaving Kean with me. Rutkin took on some more workmen, and the land was prepared for corn. I was again passionately fond of shooting, and had capital sport. As my days were generally occupied, it was carried on at night, as follows: the handle of a frying-pan is lengthened to about four feet by means of a narrow board; the pan is filled with kindlers and set alight—then taking it on your shoulder, and your rifle in your hand, you are ready for sport. If alone, you must take a store of kindlers to replenish the fire. For the sake of a better aim, a small crutch is cut in the end of the wooden handle, to rest the rifle. The fire being kept behind your head, the eyes of the game will glow like balls of fire: the deer, accustomed to the frequent fires in the forest, are not alarmed. When first discovered, if at about 100 paces, the eyes will look like a single ball, but the two become distinct on a nearer approach, which the sportsman must make with as little noise as possible, and, if possible, against the wind. When near enough, he lays his rifle in rest, and aims between There were numbers of salt-licks in the vicinity of the Fourche le Fave, which were much visited by deer and cattle. The former generally come in the night, so that the sportsman may take up a station under a scaffold, on the top of which a fire is made. Four posts are driven into the ground, five feet apart, and beams laid across, covered with a layer of leaves or moss, then a layer of sand or earth, on which the fire is made. The sportsman sits underneath in impenetrable darkness, yet able to see for seventy or eighty paces on all sides, and easily kills any deer approaching the lick. Many a night I lay in the mild warm air of the forest. Sweet and refreshing as was the face of nature, all was not repose; mosquitoes and ticks almost drove me to despair. When the fire was once well alight, the mosquitoes were attracted by it, and destroyed themselves by thousands, but the ticks became the more furious. They swarm in the woods about the end of April, and are a dreadful torment to the new-comer. The full-grown ticks, about the size of a small shot, are not the worst, because when they bite they may be caught and killed; but in July, the seed-ticks, smaller than poppy seeds, cover the bushes by millions, and I have often almost lost myself under them. Tobacco smoke is the only safeguard against them, as it kills them at once. The poor cattle are dreadfully tormented by them, particularly when they get into their ears. The first cold drives them away, though a few may be found all through the winter. Meantime the work of the farm went on, and the maize was planted; but a change came over the spirit of our society. Rutkin, who had hitherto been friendly and good-natured, became snappish and domineering, and once or twice ventured to give me orders in a tone that I did not choose to bear; but as he had been only a short time in Arkansas, I made excuses for him, laughed at him, took my gun, and absented myself for above twenty-four hours. On my return, he was always wise enough to act as if nothing had happened, and to see that giving orders was of no use. He had also frequent disputes with Kean. Haller agreed with him best, because he always flattered him, and coincided with him before his face, though this was by no means the case behind his back. One day when I was out shooting, R. attacked K., who was small and slight. To avenge himself, Kean took down his rifle, and would have shot Rutkin, had not Haller thrown himself between them. Our friendly relations were now quite broken up. Kean came over to Haller’s, where I was living, and we withdrew from the partnership, which was more than R. had reckoned on, as, knowing the state of our finances, he thought he had us under his thumb. He did not consider that I had a rifle, that there was plenty of game in Arkansas, and that there was a river running to New Orleans, where Kean, who was an excellent accountant, could make sure of a good situation. We were soon ready to start. I was to take K.’s things in a canoe to Little Rock, while he was to follow on horseback. But the 4th of July approached, on which day a farmer on the Fourche le Fave was These frolics generally take place in Spring. When a farmer calls his neighbors together to collect and burn all the wood he has cut down, it is called a “log rolling frolic;” and when the women assemble to sew together a number of different colored patches, it is called a “quilting frolic;” and in the evening, there is generally a dance, or a game of forfeits. I had hitherto never been present at any of these frolics, for I had rather avoided the throng of men; but as I was about to return to the woods, where I should perhaps see nothing of social life for months, I resolved to see men enjoy themselves for once. The 4th of July arrived, and at about ten o’clock in the morning I lounged towards the place of destination, leaving my rifle at home. The strong attraction of some whortleberries detained me some time on the road, so that I did not arrive till noon. Here all was in movement; the whole neighborhood had assembled, and the rough backwoodsmen formed many strange groups; some in hunting-shirts, like myself; some in woollen homespun coats—but the greater number without their upper garments. Several fires were lighted, and cooking was going on in various modes, while, in a shady place near the house, a group of women were occupied in boiling a “powerful long coffee.” The sound of a solitary fiddle had been perceptible at a distance, and sure enough, when I arrived, I found dancing going on amongst the younger folk, in Meantime a long table was laid out before the house, and surrounded with chairs, benches, &c.; but as it was impossible for all to find seats at once, the ladies were accommodated first, and waited upon by the gentlemen. The dinner consisted of roast beef, roast pork, potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize bread, cakes, and coffee and milk, and went off very well. Rutkin had brought a case of wine for the ladies, which was soon emptied. After dinner, a speech was made to the assembled public, in honor of the birth-day of the United States, and then dancing commenced again. Picturesque groups were formed here and there, occupied in various ways. In one place, a party of strong-built, sun-burnt figures lounged at full length on the grass, relating their shooting adventures; further on, two figures, astride a fallen tree, were playing a game of cards; in another place, a party leaping with a heavy stone in each hand, to give them more impetus; and a row of big fellows were taking their siesta under the trees, only moving Towards evening I joined in a game of cards. Whiskey bottles passed round, and many of the party were right merry. Having had enough of cards, I returned to the dancing, which had undergone some interruption; but the shrill tones of the violino solo were again heard, as I squeezed through the crowd at the door, into one of the corners right opposite to the musician. This functionary was in a rather capricious humor passing abruptly from the wildest allegro to Dancing, of course, ceased during this little intermezzo, and one of the party offered to find a sober fiddler; but as the amusement would have been interrupted too long by waiting for him, a tall lad placed himself in front of the chimney, turned up his sleeves with the utmost gravity, bent his knees a little, and began slapping them in time with the palms of his hands; in two minutes all was going on with as much spirit as before. At length the promised musician arrived, not however in the promised condition; but a connoisseur near me remarked that he would do till twelve o’clock. To my astonishment, I observed several of the young ladies in white dresses, whom I was almost sure I had seen before in dark dresses; but, as I never paid much attention to such things, I thought I must have been mistaken. An American, however, told me that I was quite right, and that most of them had already changed their dresses three times; and, if I kept a look-out, he continued, I should see that some of them A farmer, who lived about eight miles lower down the Fourche le Fave, promised me an old canoe to carry K.’s things to Little Rock, and said, that when I got there I might set it adrift, as it was not worth cutting up; so I settled to go home with him next morning to bring the canoe back. A little after twelve the old American’s prophecy came to pass, and the second fiddler was carried out and laid on the grass, while a third was soon found to take his place. By this time I was tired and sleepy, so I stretched myself under a tree, with my head on an old grindstone, and, in spite of the hard pillow and squeaking fiddle, I slept soundly till morning. When the sun sent his hot rays over the trees into the clearing, dancing was still going on, and the ground was covered with sleeping figures. Preparations were soon made for departure. The horses, which had been tied to the bushes or fence, or driven into an enclosure, and had been well supplied with maize, were quickly saddled, and troop after troop of men and women disappeared in the thick green forest. I started with the farmer and his wife, the indefatigable fiddlestick working away as long as we were within hearing. I found the canoe; and the good man was quite right when he said that it was not worth cutting up. The sun was just dipping behind the tips of the trees; the air, which had been oppressively hot all day, was somewhat cooler. I was going slowly up the stream with long easy strokes of the paddle, under the shadow of the overhanging willows, when, about 100 paces before me, I saw four wolves playing together on a bank of gravel, jumping in and out of the water, and rolling over each other like puppies. They did not see me, and I paddled silently to the side of the river where they were playing, ran the canoe on the sand, took the paddle, hardly knowing exactly what I intended, and crept stealthily along towards the unsuspecting wolves, a projecting rock hiding me from their sight. But wolves have a fine scent, and just as I was raising my head cautiously, they all four sprang into the thicket. I returned disappointed to my canoe, and continued my voyage. On arriving close to a canebrake, about 100 yards further on, I heard a rustling, and caught hold of the bough of a tree near me, to keep the canoe as still as possible, when an immense wolf, as black as pitch, with a white star on his breast, came out of the canes, apparently with the intention of swimming across to join his companions. When he caught sight of me, he turned his head from side to side like a dog. As I remained quite motionless, but with I arrived at Haller’s next day without further adventure, embarked Kean’s things, taking also all my I soon returned to the settlement, and a few days afterwards took leave of Kean, who, with a promise to write to me, set off on horseback towards the south. My arrangements were soon made, and on the following morning I set off up the bank of the river towards the mountains, intending to shoot all the summer. Kelfer, who had already received us so hospitably, was kind enough to offer me the loan of a horse for the summer. I thankfully accepted his kindness, and rode off in good spirits, not knowing exactly where; but that was always one of the least of my cares, so that I was only in motion, and I soon found a good place for sport. I learnt that there was very good shooting ground higher up the river, near the grave-lick, so called because two Indians were buried there, who had been killed by a panther. Here I joined an American, named Hogarth, who lived in the neighborhood, and was a keen sportsman. After trying the waters of the Fourche le Fave, we went to the sources of the Washita; but the forests not having been burnt for many years, were so thickly overgrown with underwood, that it was impossible to find the deer, or to shoot game enough to live upon. We had been shooting for about five weeks, when one morning, as we were riding side by side, I felt all at once giddy and unwell. The evening before, we had been overtaken by a thunderstorm, and my clothes were still damp. This attack came on so suddenly, that I had hardly time to say I was ill, and Hogarth turning round, The house was nothing more than a shed formed of boards, but the good people received me very hospitably, and attended me kindly for the two days that I lay delirious. On the third day I was able to be lifted on horseback, and we returned over the mountains that divide the left arm of the Fourche le Fave from the main stream, to Hogarth’s house; he would not let me move till I was tolerably recovered. At no great distance from hence, lived an old backwoodsman, named Slowtrap, with whom I was well acquainted, and who showed so much kindness and good feeling that I became quite attached to him. Still I longed for German society; besides, I had kept Kelfer’s horse too long, and would not abuse his good nature. Therefore, though still unwell, I rode from Hogarth’s about the end of August, towards Kelfer’s, who not only received me with kindness, but treated me quite as one of his own family. He had been accustomed to a quiet comfortable life in his early days, having been a clergyman in Germany, but he had shaken off the superintendent yoke of his native country, exchanging it for the independent life of a farmer in the American forests, and was happy When first I arrived I felt very wretched and miserable, but the kind attentions of Mrs. Kelfer restored me after a time; I managed to help a little on the farm, and now and then took a turn with my rifle, and shot a deer or a turkey. The sessions were held about this time at Fourche le Fave, and several advocates, some from Little Rock, some from the neighborhood, assembled at Perryville, and quartered themselves on the farmers. Kelfer received one, who was a gentlemanly young man, and he (Kelfer) had cases to settle with some of the bad characters in the vicinity. There was now bustle enough in the usually quiet place, and the little town of Perryville, about two miles off, consisting of one little shop, and the dwelling of the ferryman, who was also postmaster, was the assembling place of the county. The shop, which formed one half of the town, belonged to a German, who was too good a specimen of a certain class of his countrymen to be passed by without notice. Bockenheim, or as the Americans called him, Buckingham, must, I should think, have been a manufacturer of birch brooms, as he showed extraordinary talent for that branch of the fine arts; but he endeavored The sessions were held in the other half of the town, the postmaster giving up the half of his house for the purpose, as the court-house was yet to be built. The judge, who travelled this circuit, had come from Little Rock with several advocates, and took his place by the chimney in a cane chair. Two tables were placed together in the middle of the room, though rather nearer the chimney, round which the advocates and the clerk of the court took their places. A case of assault was first brought forward; the jury, who must be householders, were chosen, and sworn, and placed themselves on a long bench against the wall. The proceedings were opened by the prosecuting attorney, who directed the attention of the jury to the various laws enacted against this crime, and then called his witnesses. He was followed by the advocate for the At this time of the year, before the maize is quite ripe, being soft but no longer milky, while last year’s store is nearly exhausted, the farmer rubs the grain on a grater, generally made out of an old coffee-pot, in which holes are punched with a nail, and thus procures a fine damp flour, containing all the saccharine qualities I had received no letter from Kean, but heard that he had joined a young German in the purchase of a boat, and was gone into Louisiana. I almost regretted that I had not accompanied them; but my passion for shooting impelled me in a different direction, and I longed to be in the Ozark mountains, of which I had heard so much, and which were only 150 miles off. Week after week passed away, and I was desirous of helping Kelfer with his approaching harvest. I passed a great part of my time in the forest with my dog Bearsgrease, the same that I had brought from Little Rock, and which had grown to a fine powerful animal. I was still undetermined whether to go north or south, when an old acquaintance arrived at Kelfer’s to pass the night, and decided the question. It was old Slowtrap, who had formerly lived near the mouth of Fourche le Fave, but had since removed higher up, not far from Hogarth’s. He had a sack full of all sorts of articles, including a half bushel of salt which he had bought at Little Rock, and carried across his horse. He afterwards told me that he had transported all his family and goods on horseback, and then I remembered having once met him riding along with four chairs and a spinning-wheel. The spinning-wheel having made the horse shy, he had hung it on a A man will sometimes move with his wife and children, and all his goods, further into the forest, if the grass about his house gets thin, so that he would be forced to cultivate a little more maize for his cattle. Slowtrap spoke much of his father-in-law, who was a keen bear-shooter, and made me long for the mountains more than ever, by affirming that he intended to go himself in a few weeks, that I might go with him, and that he would introduce me to the old gentleman. This drove all thoughts of the south out of my head, and we settled on marching the following morning. There is a saying that “short hair is soon brushed;” my baggage was ready in a few minutes. I was sorry to part with the Kelfers, who had been so kind to me, and treated me as one of their family; but I hoped soon to see them again. The November morning broke cold and disagreeable when I started with my companion. My baggage was not very heavy; I had on deer-skin leggings, and moccasins, a light hunting-shirt of summer stuff, secured by a broad leather belt, bearing my tomahawk on the right, and hunting-knife on the left side, and a tin cup behind. Spare powder and lead were rolled up in my blanket, with a small bag of roasted coffee, and a clean shirt; a powder-horn and a leather shot-pouch completed my equipment. My companion, though an old sportsman, was not equipped for shooting; but he was pretty well loaded with other things. As I have My old friend cut a glorious figure, as he rode beside me. He was about six feet tall, and as large boned as a fine figure would allow. A pair of thoroughly honest eyes looked out of a good-humored, weather-beaten face, and were in constant motion, giving great animation to the massive figure. Nobody had ever seen him laugh, but those who are well acquainted with him say, that a little widening twitch of the mouth, and a slight closing of the corner of the left eye, are certain evidences of good-humor; neither had anybody ever seen him go faster than at a quick walk—he seemed to consider it beneath his dignity to run. A well-worn black coat, with large pockets and flaps, was thrown over his shoulders, and, notwithstanding the rough weather, his legs were cased in a pair of thin, light-colored trowsers, which rumpled up high enough to show a muscular calf above a short sock; a pair of shoes of his own making covered his feet, while a hat, of any shape but the original, and that had been black, covered his head. The articles in one end of his bag were not heavy enough to balance the salt in the other end; so, to maintain the equilibrium, he was obliged to lean to the left side, and as he had a large basket, containing a Muscovy duck, on the right arm, the horse seemed to be between When a county road has to be cut, a director is appointed, who is authorized to assemble all the male population of the county from the age of eighteen to forty-five; and these stout sons of the forest soon make a clearance among the trees, and roll their trunks out of the way. But holes and other hinderances are left in a state of nature, if there is the slightest chance that a wagon can pass. Our road led us near the river, though we seldom saw it, on account of the canes and rushes through which it flows; moreover, we kept to the heights as much as possible, for the sake of dry ground. The main course of the river is from west to east, with very good land on both banks, forming excellent winter pasture, while the hills, also running east and west, afford equally good summer pasture amongst the thick pine forests. It was long since the road had been inspected. Large broken boughs and fallen trees lay across it, impeding our progress. According to Slowtrap, this was quite natural. He maintained that a tree never would fall any other way than across a road, if it could only reach it, just as a sweet gum tree always fell on a fence, if it stood near enough. We passed a school as we went along—one of the usual log-houses—but with a plank inserted between two of the logs to serve for a desk. The more distant scholars come on horseback, and tie up their horses to the fence during school hours. Of Hitherto the weather had been fine; but clouds gathered in the west, and soon turned to rain. As we were in no great hurry, and as Slowtrap said that one of his greatest friends lived about half a mile from the road, we turned to the left, and soon halted before a block-house, whose chimney smoke indicated a glorious fire within. Old Bahrens, to whom the house belonged, was not at home, but his two sons, lads fifteen and ten years of age, gave us a warm reception. We found the room occupied by three other men, who made room for us, and the fire soon restored warmth to our half-frozen limbs. Two of the strangers were talking earnestly about the races, which were shortly to be held in the neighborhood, while the third seemed to be very tired, for he was fast asleep in his chair. As it grew later and later without any signs of supper, and there was no woman in the house, we all set to work, took maize out of the corn crib, and began to grind. But what a mill! It was above an hour The whole party were rather tired, and as there were no spare beds in the house, S. and I spread our blankets; the boys gave us two more to cover us, and all five were soon peaceably extended, one beside the other, in waiting for the next day’s sun. We were up at daybreak, and, to avoid another grind at the old mill, for which I had conceived the greatest respect, we started before breakfast. The horse, having had a good supply of food, was again saddled and bridled, the bag with salt, &c., laid across, my old comrade climbed up, I handed him his duck basket and old shooting iron, cast my blanket over my shoulder, and shaking hands with our two new acquaintances, the third being still asleep, we went off to the west for the abode of my companion. The weather had cleared up, and with light heart and light step we jogged along the well-beaten track; Bearsgrease snuffing the trails of the deer which had crossed the road in the course of the night. He stopped at every fresh trail, asking with entreating eyes for leave to follow As fast as I could I had followed up the dog, who had singled out a turkey-cock, and was bounding and barking round the tree in which he had taken refuge, and whence, with outstretched neck, he was turning his head first to one side then to the other, intently watching the motions of Bearsgrease; I was enabled to approach unperceived and knock him over. Meantime S. had lighted a jolly fire, and we sat rather too long over our meal, considering, or rather not considering, that we had a bad bit of road before us, and that the weather began to look threatening. For half a mile the road led through the “mounds,”—small hills, which are very frequent in this part of Arkansas, principally on low ground. There can be no doubt but that they have been formed by the hand of man, as they are in regular rows, from twenty to forty yards apart, six or seven feet high, and about twelve feet in diameter. The one in the middle of a row is always of an oval form, while the others are round. There are sometimes from twelve to twenty rows, with from ten to twenty and twenty-five mounds in a row, all at regular distances. I have spoken with several Americans who had dug into them, in the hope At length the swamps were behind us. We crossed a small prairie, passed an old buffalo salt-lick, and arrived at Slowtrap’s dwelling, planted on a spur of the hills which ran out into the plains. It was in no way different from the usual log-houses: sixteen feet square, from nine to ten high, with an enormous fireplace, no window, and a weighted roof; close by was a field of about seven acres, planted with maize. His wife and children stood at the door as we arrived, and although I knew that they were much attached to each other, and lived happily together, and he had been about three weeks absent, not the least word was exchanged that could be construed into a greeting. “Take my saddle in,” said S. to his eldest son, a boy of eight years old, who was leaning on the fence, looking at us as if we were perfect strangers, in whom he had no concern. At last, when the horse was cared for, and all things in their places, S. went into the house, took a seat, and lifted his youngest child into his lap;—and then he said, “How do you do, all of you?” This distant reserve of the Americans, so prevalent even in their own families, often struck cold on my heart, and made me regret my native land. Man and wife are often as reserved towards each other as two strangers who meet for the first time, and care not about meeting again. I have seen Americans leave home to be absent for months, without shaking hands with their wives, or saying “Good-by,” and it is the When quietly seated, I took a survey of the dwelling. In two corners stood two large beds, covered with good stout quilts of many colors; between the beds, about four feet from the ground, was a shelf holding a few more quilts, and the linen of the family, which was not over-abundant, comprising three or four articles for each person. Under this shelf were two “gums,” trunks of a hollow tree, about a foot in diameter, and two and a half or three feet high, with a piece of board nailed on the bottom. They are applied to all sorts of purposes: I have seen them used as beehives; these, I subsequently found, were one for flour and the other for salt. Two wooden hooks over the door supported my host’s long rifle, with its powder-horn and shot-pouch. A shelf held some shoemaker’s tools, leather, &c., Gun’s Domestic Medicine, a family Bible, the Life of Washington, the Life of Marion, Franklin’s Maxims, an almanac, and a well-worn map of the United States. Various files, awls, broken knives, and a bullet-mould, were stuck into the crevices of the logs near the fireplace. On the left of it were two short shelves, with four plates, two cups, three saucers, some tin pots, and a large coffee-pot, all as bright and clean as possible. In the corner of the fireplace was an iron pan with a cover, for baking The above-named boy, a girl of ten, a blue-eyed, flaxen-haired, rosy-cheeked girl of four, diligently munching a bunch of wild grapes, and the little one on my friend’s lap, formed the family; they all looked shyly at me, though they had seen me six months before, so that I was not quite a stranger to them. We had agreed to set off for the mountains at once—but S. found some business to detain him at home, so it was put off till the next week, and I amused myself in the mean time as well as I could; and as I was acquainted with the country, I took my rifle, and paid a few visits to old acquaintances, returning to Slowtrap’s on the 12th December, partly on account of the cold wet weather, and partly to mend my moccasins, which had suffered severely from the sharp stones of these mountains. Slowtrap happened to be mending a pair of shoes at the same time. It is a general practice with the backwoodsmen to make their own shoes, and a regular shoemaker is a scarce article in this part of the world. As they are thrown on their own resources from their youth, these Americans are very skilful in providing for their necessary wants, and are particularly expert with the axe, which they begin to wield as soon as their arms are strong enough to lift it. They use it for a variety of purposes—building houses, laying roofs and floors, forming the chimneys and doors, the only other tool used being an auger; and nothing amuses them more than to see the awkwardness of a new comer, when first he handles an axe. As we sat together before the fire, there was no difficulty in getting Slowtrap to relate some of his adventures with the Indians in his early days. In the evening we brought in some pumpkins, and as we cut them into thin rings to hang on the poles to dry he began to speak in the following words of the perils he had been exposed to in Kentucky, and his narrow escapes from the Indians: “Kentucky was at that time a wilderness, when my father, my uncle, and myself arrived near the dwelling of Daniel Boone, to look about for a spot that would suit us; for North Carolina, where we then lived, began to be too populous, and a man who wanted to shoot a turkey or partridge was tired before he had walked half an hour, from the number of fences he was obliged to climb over. I was then just eighteen, as strong as a four-year-old bear, and was delighted at the thought of meeting the Indians. It was about this time of the year, and the game we saw made our hearts bound: numbers of bears, deer, and buffaloes; while the turkeys would hardly get out of our way. It would tire you to tell you of all the sport we had, for no country in the world could boast of more game than Kentucky thirty years ago; but now it is no better there than it was then in North Carolina, and five years hence, a man who wants to shoot a bear in Arkansas, will have many a weary mile to tramp. One evening we arrived at the edge of a cane-brake, and as there was good feeding for the horses, we Having finished his tale, my host sat for some time with his head leaning on his hand, thinking of times long past. His wife had fallen asleep: she had probably, heard the tale many times before, and as it was rather late, we were all glad to retire. The dogs barked several times during the night, and about an hour and a half before daylight, they were quite furious; supposing their excitement to be caused by raccoons, or opossums, we started up, and took our guns, called the dogs, and went into the piercing cold morning air, though it was too dark to see one’s hand; my thin deer-skin moccasins were soon frozen, which by no means added to my agreeable sensations. The bark of the dogs soon showed that they had chased something to a tree. As our feet were dreadfully cold, and it was still too dark to shoot, we lighted a fire, and though the dogs enjoyed its warmth, they never forgot the object of our being there, keeping their eyes We returned to the house, and rested again till breakfast. After breakfast I went out to shoot turkeys, which were very numerous; but when I descended to the lower valley of the river, I found such an abundance of winter grapes, that I thought no more of my shooting, but gathering a good quantity, I lay down under a tree to enjoy them. After lying there about a couple of hours, I was roused by hearing the turkeys calling; so, hiding myself behind a fallen tree, I used my decoy pipe, and ten or a dozen stout fellows came strutting along. When they arrived within about twenty paces I gave a whistle, which brought them to a stand, and I shot the largest through the head. Satisfied with my prize, I returned to the house, and found that the grapes had quite spoiled my dinner. As the weather turned out fine and warm in the afternoon, we determined to hunt in the wood for a To induce bees to take bait in the fall of the year, the hunter looks out for a small open space in their neighborhood, and if he cannot find one he must make a clearance with his knife and tomahawk, stick a branch upright in the ground, and lay some leaves on it spread with a little thinned honey. The bees soon discover it, and when they have got as much of the honey as they can carry, they rise in circles, which become larger and larger, till they attain a certain height; then they dash off direct for their own tree, to deposit their store in the general warehouse. The bee-hunter must take particular notice of the line of their flight, which requires a good eye, and then carry his bait some two hundred yards further in that direction, when the bees will soon flock round it again. If, when loaded, they keep the same course, it is a sign that the tree is still in that direction, and the bait must be carried further, until they fly the other way. Then the bee-hunter will know that he has passed the tree, and that it must be between his present and his last station, and he is not long in finding it. When he comes near the tree, and the bees are at work, their unsteady zigzag flight will betray its proximity. The first time we moved our bait, the bees flew backward, so we knew we could not be more than a hundred yards from their tree; but the approaching night prevented our discovering it. Next morning about ten o’clock, as it began to get warm, we returned As there were several things to be done about the house, we remained at home, cut down firewood, and carried it to the house, ground flour in Slowtrap’s excellent steel mill, and when the evening shadows began to lengthen fast, we sat by the fire, and the old fellow, rendered good-humored by the successful bee-hunt, began again with his stories. In the course of the day, we had seen a man pass by with a smooth-bored gun, and as such a thing was a rarity in the backwoods, the conversation turned on this circumstance. He said: “I once had a smooth-bored gun, called a musket, and not far from the house where we then lived was a small lake, generally covered with wild fowl. One morning I took the old thumper, for it kicked tremendously, and lounged towards the lake to have a shot. I had not gone far along the bank, The sky seemed to promise a continuance of fine weather, and as there was no prospect at present of Slowtrap’s visit to the mountains, I resolved to take a little shooting excursion alone. The shooting on the north of the river was not so good as on the south, as there were fewer settlements; so I determined to cross over, and try my luck. A young man of the name of Curly lived close to the south bank; he was certainly strongly suspected of horse-stealing, but in other respects was a good fellow, and a capital sportsman; his little weakness respecting horse-flesh was a matter of indifference to me—he could not steal any of mine: so I went to the river and hailed, when he soon brought his canoe and carried me across. He was easily persuaded to accompany me for a few days, first requesting time to prepare some provisions. He lived in a small block-house close to the river, surrounded We might have gone about three miles, when we came on the trail of several deer, though we had seen nothing of the precious creatures themselves; and as it began to grow dark, and we found ourselves near a bubbling spring, and a black hawberry bush looked very attractive, we resolved to camp there, and to begin our sport as early as possible in the morning. We cast off our blankets, laid down our rifles, and collected wood for a fire, the night promising to be rather cold. We soon had a fire of which a volcano need not have been ashamed, and lay down to repose. Our supper consisted We breakfasted with the first gleam of light, fed the dogs, and related stories till it was light enough to see the sights on the muzzles of the rifles; then taking our preconcerted directions, we trod lightly and cautiously over the dried leaves. A little before sunrise I heard the crack of Curly’s rifle; a few minutes later a second report, then a third. I stood still for about a quarter of an hour, in case a frightened deer should bound past. Nothing moved; I continued my march. I had not gone far when I saw a majestic buck at a walk. I crept lightly to a right angle with his course; when about eighty yards off, I gave a hail: he stopped, and my ball pierced his shoulder; after a few bounds, he lay struggling in the yellow leaves. Bearsgrease rushed after him, but finding him already dead, he only licked the wound, and lay quietly beside him, waiting for his share of the prize. I took the skin and the two legs, hanging the latter on a tree with the skin over them, cut a few bits of the rest for Bearsgrease, leaving the remainder for the wolves and vultures, and continued my march. Soon after I heard a shot, about a hundred yards off on the other side of a thick jungle, and proceeded towards the sound. It turned out to be Curly, who had killed a turkey; he was lying under a tree, and told me, with a mournful visage, that, having wounded a buck, he was following him over some loose stones, when he sprained his ankle, and could hardly move, being obliged to leave the wounded deer to its fate. As we had traversed the country in a circle, we were not far from our last night’s camp. I helped him to it as well as I could, and both being hungry, we roasted the turkey. But Curly had lost all heart for shooting, and, with the help of a big stick, limped slowly homewards, where he could lay up his leg to nurse. I could not tear myself away so soon, and continued my sport alone. As the sky grew cloudy and threatening, I made a tent of my blanket, and collected wood enough to defy any quantity of rain that might fall. When all this was arranged, I went to the tree where I had left my venison and skin, and to give Bearsgrease another feed from the carcase. But I was too late; the vultures had left nothing but the bones, and had torn the skin on the tree, which, however, I was in time to rescue, and hanging it over my shoulders, with the legs safe in my arms, I returned to my camp. Having made a good fire, and roasted a slice of meat, the coffee being all gone, and the bread reduced to one small piece, I fed my dog, and lay down to repose. About midnight I was awakened by a formidable thunderstorm. Bearsgrease began to howl dreadfully, and close behind me an oak burst into flames. Flash followed flash, while the thunder was incessant; the whole forest seemed to swim in a lake of fiery brimstone, the rain poured in torrents, and the little stream swelled to a foaming river. When the storm ceased, silence and darkness took its place, only disturbed by the rustling of the rain falling perpendicularly on the leaves. My blanket protected me well; I was perfectly dry, and soon fast asleep again. Towards morning it cleared up, and I lay awake till past midnight, giving the reins to my imagination; and when I fell asleep I dreamed of stretched deerskins, and that Bearsgrease was chasing an immense buck, when his loud barking and howling awoke me. I patted him to keep him quiet, and found his hair all bristling up. I thought wolves must be near us; and listening attentively, I heard the cautious tread of some heavy beast over the dry frosty leaves. I laid some dry fir branches, which were near me, on the fire, to make it burn up bright, and placed myself between it and the noise of the footsteps, in order to distinguish the eyes of my untimely visitor, and shoot him. Three times I caught sight of two glowing balls, and from their rapid disappearance I was convinced that I had to do with a panther. He went round and round the fire several times, but never close enough for me to distinguish his form;—and I passed half an hour with my rifle at my cheek, in the greatest anxiety, the dog pressing close to my side, with all his nerves on the stretch, following the tread The brute, not possessing courage enough to attack, at length withdrew; but I remained a good quarter of an hour longer on the watch, till the dog, persuaded that all was safe, had lain down again, when I followed his example, wrapped myself in my blanket, and was soon fast asleep. The morning was bitterly cold; and as I had nothing on my feet but a pair of thin deer-skin moccasins, not even stockings, I thought of a plan I had learned from an old sportsman, and bathed my feet in the icy cold water of the stream, dried them well, and put on my moccasins. My feet were soon in a glow, and remained warm all the morning. I started at daylight, and followed the course of the stream downwards; but the bushes grew thicker and thicker, and I was about returning to cross the hill to another brook, when I caught sight of a noble stag in the thicket on my right. I crept quickly and silently round the bush to cut him off, when suddenly I heard a most heart-rending cry from a deer. My first impulse was to rush towards the sound, and on the first movement I made for this purpose, Bearsgrease bounded forwards; but I thought better of it, and a sharp whistle stopped the dog in his career. A second fainter whistle brought him to my side; then, hiding behind a tree, I reflected on what was best to be done. The shriek certainly came from a deer, and nothing but a panther could have caused it; for if it had been a wolf, all would not have been silent again so soon, as a wolf could not have overpowered a deer so quickly. Now, I had often heard from Americans how the panther darts on his prey, kills it in an instant, and, after eating his fill, buries or covers up the rest for a future meal. I resolved to try and make sure of the panther, and, if possible, to creep up to him unperceived. I did not then know how difficult it was to outwit a panther; but this time fortune favored me. After waiting about half an hour, I thought I might make the attempt, and crept lightly and cautiously towards the thicket; the dog, well knowing my object, crept as silently after me. Just as I gained the edge of the thicket, and was looking out for the best place to enter it with the least noise, I heard a light rustling. My heart began to beat violently; the bush opened, and my eyes encountered the fierce orbs of the panther. Doubtless, in the first moment of surprise he did not know exactly what to do; but his surprise did not last long: a panther has a bad conscience, and justly supposes a foe in every living being not belonging to his own race; and, crouching down about twenty paces from me in the yellow grass, he was preparing either to make a spring, or to hide himself—I could not tell which. But I was not idle; during the time he stooped, my arm had recovered its steadiness, the rifle cracked, the animal made one spring upwards, and fell dead to the earth. Bearsgrease seized him on the instant, and seemed to take exquisite pleasure in shaking the skin of his deadliest foe; and he cast many a longing look behind, when, at my command, he followed up the panther’s trail. We soon came to the place where he had killed the buck, and covered it with leaves; the skin had been so mauled that it was useless, On arriving at the camp I tied up the skin with strips of bark, and although I took very little of the venison with me, I had a heavy load. I reached Curly’s in the evening. As it was nearly dark, I had no fancy for crossing the river at night, and creeping for half an hour through a cane-brake, with the chance of getting my eyes poked out; so I remained with Curly. The house was small, but it contained two large bedsteads, one table, three chairs, two plates, and one cup; a hole in the wall did duty for the absent window. We passed a very pleasant evening. Curly sang well, and gave us a number of Irish comic songs, till, tired with laughing and the severe exertions of the day, I rolled myself in my blanket, and laid myself by the fire. I was up at daybreak, and the river being low, waded through, hastened to Slowtrap’s, and spread out my skin. Slowtrap was out shooting wild fowl, which had collected in such numbers on a little river running into the Fourche le Fave, that I never saw any thing like it; they positively covered the water, and a good double-barrelled gun might have done immense havoc, particularly as the steep banks favored the approach to within thirty yards of the ducks. Supposing the old fellow not to be far off, I took my rifle, and lounged down to the brink of the river; not with any intention of shooting, as my rifle had too large a bore; but I came upon a string of ducks, not more [Image unavailable.] |