I hastened on to Wilberforce, which had fortunately escaped the fearful scourge, with terrible apprehensions.

Having a little spare time, I went out with my rifle, in search of deer; but soon came upon a large wolf, which I wounded with the first shot; he, however, sprang aside and was gone.  On looking about for him I espied another!—­reloading my rifle, I fired, and he fell dead at my feet, while my dog at the same time I heard barking furiously.  Having dispatched this second intruder, I saw that my dog had the first one, entangled in the branches of a fallen tree.  I searched for my balls, and was vexed to find that I had left them at home.  In this predicament I cut with my knife, a knot from a beech limb, put it in my rifle, and took deadly aim at the enraged wolf.  The wooden ball struck him between the eyes and killed him on the spot.

The two dead animals, with their skins, I sold for nine dollars and a half,—­making pretty good wages for a few hours labor.

Hunting was very generally pursued by the settlers, with great earnestness and considerable skill.  The forest abounded with deer, wolves, bears, and other wild animals.  Bears were plenty, and very troublesome because so dangerously tame.  One day, our children had built for themselves a play-house, a few rods from the door, and were enjoying their play when they were called in to dinner.  A moment after, I observed one of the settlers gazing intently at the play-house; I called to know what so attracted his attention, and he informed me that an old bear, with three cubs, had just then taken possession of the playhouse.  And sure enough there they were! knocking about among the dishes, and munching the crumbs of bread which the children had left.  The man was supplied with a loaded rifle and urged to shoot them, but he begged to be excused from a pitched battle with so many; and the bears leisurely took their departure for the woods without molestation.  The play-house, however, was soon deserted by the children after these unbidden guests had made so free with it; and we were ourselves somewhat alarmed for the safety of our children, who were accustomed to roam in the edge of the forest, and make swings of the luxuriant grape vines.

But such incidents are common in a new country, surrounded as we were by a dense wilderness.

CHAPTER XXII.

NARROW ESCAPE OF A SMUGGLER.

From the time I first settled in Wilberforce, my house had ever been open to travelers and strangers; but a conversation I happened to overhear, led me to take a course different from what I had at first intended.  I was at a public house about twenty miles from home, when I heard the landlord advising his guest to eat heartily, for, said he, “you will find nothing more worthy of your attention, until you reach Wilberforce.  When you arrive at that settlement, inquire for A. Steward, from the States, and he will give you a meal fit for a prince.”  I began to reflect on the subject and concluded, inasmuch as people would send company to me, it would be better to make some preparation for entertaining them.  I had plenty of furniture, and all I needed was a larger supply of food, to commence keeping a tavern.  This was easily obtained, and I opened a public house which was well patronized.