Fourty-Four Years, or, the Life of a Hunter. Meshach Browning

       xii T A B L E OF C O N T E N T S .

      Meets Mary at Uncle's — Accompanies her nearly home, with a dozen fine Trout and some Venison — Fear of her Father — Removed near the McMullen's — Goes Hunting, and kills a Panther, measuring eleven feet three inches— .Marries Mary at eighteen, in the year 1799—Roughly treated by her Father— Actually turned out of doors — Mary's noble conduct and Christian spirit — Affecting Incidents Poverty in setting out in life — Succeeds in shooting a Wild Turkey and trapping a Bear their first Meat…….. ……………………………...…………………………………

       CHAPTER IV.

      Sells his Rifle to procure a Cow — Procures another, and takes a Bear Hunt — Kills one after a desperate Fight, and stabbing him several times — Author and Mary go for Chestnuts — Dogs start a Bear — Whipped by Dogs, and is shot in a Tree — Hunting for a Colt, finds a very large Bear Track — Pursues him and kills him — Another Hunt — Kills a fine Bear after an exciting Chase — Kills a large Buck — Another Hunt, and kills two Bucks — Takes a Hunt on Negro Mountain — Kills a small Buck and a Bear — Hunting Season ended — In February took the Dogs to have a Fox Chase — Finds a Wolf Track — Pursues and kills him — Scalp worth eight dollars premium — False Claimant for his little Property — But, fearing a law-suit, gives it up — Removes to the Glades — Settles in un old Cabin, partly torn down by Hunters — Finds a Rattlesnake in the House — Another found near the House — Mary goes for Water to the Spring, and starts five Wolves — Beautiful Appearance of the Glades — Watches a Deer lick — But kills a Bear — Repairs Cabin — Mary and Sister Jane go Trout fishing — Kills a Bear on the Way — Serious Accident — Col. John Lynn — His noble Character — Wm. Hoye and James Drane, kind neighbors — Goes Hunting and kills two Deer before Breakfast — Hunts again, and is lost in the Woods — Made a fire, and laid between two Logs — Snowing and hailing all Night — Kills a Bear next morning— Joke about a deviled Turkey — Starts for Camp to hunt — Kills a Bear, but had to sleep in the Woods — Hunts with Hugh McMullen — Dogs tree a Bear — Comes down the Tree, and is killed with the Knife while fighting the Dogs — One of the Dogs crippled — Kills nine Wild Turkeys in an hour or two — Finds Game in the Rocks, supposed a Bear — Sends Dog in the Den, and out bounds a Panther — Threatens an attack, but is killed — Next day kills a fine Buck Goes after Coons, but starts a Bear and kills him — Ran a Bear near to Col. Lynn's, and killed him in presence of Gen. Lee, a Revolutionary Officer — Kills a Buck asleep — Mode of packing Bear on a Horse — Desperate Fight with Bear and Cubs — Killed two — Same Hunt killed two more — Wolf kills a Heifer — Kills the Wolf — Scalp and Skin worth two Calves — Kills a Bear on a Hog — Hunts on a Wager — Killed three Bears, one Back, and two Turkeys ……………………………..

       CHAPTER V.

      Desperate Fight with a Bear in a Den — Kills him — Measures six inches of clear Fat — Dog badly wounded — Went after Turkeys, but killed a Bear — Van Sickle's ludicrous Turkey Race — Kills an old Bear and three Cubs — Kills another Bear on a Hon, in sight of his Cabin — Sells his Property to Dr. Brooke, and loses

       TABLE OF CONTENTS. xiii

      nearly all — Mary's firmness and decision of Character — Family nearly broken

      up— Buys some Powder and Lead on Credit — lie desponds, but goes to the Woods

      — Kills three Bears in about four hours………………………………………………..…

      CHAPTER VI

      Visits the Camp— Exciting time with Wolves— Kills one — Kills a Bear at the Hole — Buys fifty acres of Land, all in Forest — In the mean time, Parents and four Children live in a House ten by twelve feet — Makes Sugar from the Maple — Mary has a Paralytic Stroke — Gloomy prospect — House to build, Ground to be cleared, and Mary's case pronounced hopeless— Colonel Lynn calls to see him — Through his kind aid, Mary is restored to Health-— Noble act of Generosity by Colonel Lynn to an Enemy — Sets a Bear-Trap — Soon catches two bears — Has a severe attack of Rheumatism, lasting three months — On recovering, sets off after a very large Bear — After a desperate Fight, kills him — Has to camp out — Finds a Bear in the Rocks — Smokes him out, and kills him — Hunts with four Hunters in the Glades — makes a Bet to kill two Deer — Decoys a Deer — Kills five Deer, and wins the Bet……………………………………………………………………………………………...…..

      CHAPTER VII.

      Hunts with John and Charles Friend in the Glades — Finds a Bear in a Den — Au- thor enters the Den with Candle and Rifle — Tries to coax him out— Goes in again, and shoots him — Returns a third time into the Den. and kills him with another shot in the Head — Finds another Bear in a Hole or Den — Enters with Candle and Rifle — Shoots, and wounds the Bear— Sets his own Hair on Fire — Returns into the Den, fires again, and kills the Bear — Remarks on the Danger — Has another attack of Rheumatism, which lasts three months — War with England in 1812 — Drafted as Sergeant — Thrown into the Ranks, and refuses to go — Reflections on following bad Counsels — Captain's Commission sent to him — Visits Selby's-Port — Is attacked by a Crowd, and has a desperate Fight — Is nearly killed, but comes off victorious — Hunts again — In a week, kills four Deer and two Bears — Visits Ohio, to view the Country — Returns, and buys more Land — Has another long attack of Rheumatism — Recovers, and begins Hunting — Takes a load of Venison and Bear-meat to Baltimore — Meets with his Brother Jeremiah at Newmarket, whom he had not seen for thirty years — Clears $300 by the trip — Builds a Mill………………………………………………………………………………………………….

       CHAPTER VIII.

      Takes up Land — Difficulty about Titles — Hunts on Meadow Mountain for Bears Kills two Bears and a Panther — Exciting Fight with a Bear — Finds a Deer killed by a panther — Pursues, and, after a long chase, kills him, in the act of springing the hunters — Eating Opossum for Duck— Takes a Hunt with two Companions — Breaks his Rifle, but kills a Bear and a Buck with the broken Gun — Sends the Meat home — Finds Tracks of four Bears — Kills three of them — Four Friends

      xiv TABLE OF CONTENTS.

      come to hunt — Off to the Woods— Pair off, leaving Author to hunt alone — They select their own Ground — Author finds Bears playing — Kills two, hunts on, and kills three more ; making five Bears in about three hours — The Company stay three days longer — Kill no Bears, and but little other Game……………………………

      CHAPTER IX.

      Goes to Meadow Mountain, with his son William, to hunt Bears — Chases an enor- mous Bear — Outruns the Dogs, and gets off— Finds another, and, to walk without noise, takes to the Water — Bear comes within