In the mean time David had become very fond of his rifle, and had raised enough money to buy him one.  He was still living with the Quaker.  Game was abundant, and the young hunter often brought in valuable supplies of animal food.  There were frequent shooting-matches in that region.  David, proud of his skill, was fond of attending them.  But his Quaker employer considered them a species of gambling, which drew together all the idlers and vagrants of the region, and he could not approve of them.

There was another boy living at that time with the Quaker.  They practised all sorts of deceptions to steal away to the shooting-matches under pretence that they were engaged in other things.  This boy was quite in love with a sister of David’s intended wife.  The staid member of the Society of Friends did not approve of the rude courting frolics of those times, which frequently occupied nearly the whole night.

The two boys slept in a garret, in what was called the gable end of the house.  There was a small window in their rough apartment.  One Sunday, when the Quaker and his wife were absent attending a meeting, the boys cut a long pole, and leaned it up against the side of the house, as high as the window, but so that it would not attract any attention.  They were as nimble as catamounts, and could run up and down the pole without the slightest difficulty.  They would go to bed at the usual early hour.  As soon as all were quiet, they would creep from the house, dressed in their best apparel, and taking the two farm-horses, would mount their backs and ride, as fast as possible, ten miles through the forest road to where the girls lived.  They were generally expected.  After spending all the hours of the middle of the night in the varied frolics of country courtship, they would again mount their horses and gallop home, being especially careful to creep in at their window before the dawn of day The course of true love seemed for once to be running smoothly.  Saturday came, and the next week, on Thursday, David was to be married.

It so happened that there was to be a shooting match on Saturday, at one of the cabins not far from the home of his intended bride.  David made some excuse as to the necessity of going home to prepare for his wedding, and in the morning set out early, and directed his steps straight to the shooting-match.  Here he was very successful in his shots, and won about five dollars.  In great elation of spirits, and fully convinced that he was one of the greatest and happiest men in the world, he pressed on toward the home of his intended bride.

He had walked but a couple of miles, when he reached the cabin of the girl’s uncle.  Considering the members of the family already as his relatives, he stepped in, very patronizingly, to greet them.  He doubted not that they were very proud of the approaching alliance of their niece with so distinguished a man as himself—­a man who had actually five dollars, in silver, in his pocket.  Entering the cabin, he found a sister of his betrothed there.  Instead of greeting him with the cordiality he expected, she seemed greatly embarrassed.  David had penetration enough to see that something was wrong.  The reception she gave him was not such as he thought a brother-in-law ought to receive.  He made more particular inquiries.  The result we will give in David’s language.