the darkness of night had fallen, then making a bundle of his
clothes and placing it on his head, he entered the river and swam to
the other shore. He then pursued his way to the Deep Creek Canal,
which he forded. Arriving at the "Feeder," he was not far from the
Lake, and was at a place with which he was well acquainted, and out
of the reach of all danger of being recaptured. Resting himself a
while, he then started for the Lake, and it was at that place he
performed his great feat. He could not procure a boat, and the
prospect before him was gloomy indeed. If he remained there he would,
in all probability, have been devoured by bears and other wild animals
in the Swamp, or perhaps, starve. Not being in the least daunted, he
prepared himself to reach the western shore, which could only be done
by swimming. It was seven miles across, but he nerved himself to the
accomplishment of his object. He prepared himself as before by making
a bundle of his clothes, which he placed on the top of his head, and
was then ready to swim across or perish in the attempt. When he was
about half-way across he was attacked by a large serpent, and had it
not been for a school of gars that was following him, he would no
doubt have been devoured. He reached the shore only to meet a more
formidable enemy. It was a large black bear. In his scuffle with the
serpent he had lost his bundle of clothes and had nothing but a large
knife, which was buckled around his waist. Drawing his knife, he
rushed forward and was met by the bear, when a regular hand-to-hand
fight was commenced. He did not wrestle long before he found an
opportunity to use his knife, and plunging it up to the hilt, he soon
had the bear lying prostrate at his feet. Having lost all his clothes,
it became necessary that he should do something in his nude state. The
bear's skin was the only thing that he could get, so with his knife
he skinned him, and getting inside the skin, he started to find some
settlement. But his condition was as bad as before. The idea of his
being able to get near enough to any person to tell of his condition
was absurd. The very sight of him would scare every man, woman and
child off the plantation. He could not get a living soul to come to
him, and it was not until he had reached his own home, some few miles
from Suffolk, that he could present himself as Mr. Hosier. I could
write many very interesting incidents connected with the life of Mr.
Hosier, which, i