nate enough to kill
a fine buffalo; and John soon after returned with the news of peace,
both with the Indians and French. The two brothers agreed to leave
their retirement.

Their wilderness habitation was not left without some regret. Every
object around, had become more or less endeared to them. The tree, in
whose hollow they had been so [92] frequently sheltered from storm and
tempest, was regarded by them with so great reverence, that they
resolved, so soon as they could prevail on a few others to accompany
them, again to return to this asylum of their exile.

In a population such as then composed the chief part of the South
Branch settlement, this was no difficult matter. All of them were used
to the frontier manner of living; the most of them had gone thither to
acquire land; many had failed entirely in this object, while others
were obliged to occupy poor and broken situations off the river; the
fertile bottoms having been previously located. Add to this the
passion for hunting (which was a ruling one with many,) and the
comparative scarcity of game in their neighborhood, and it need not
excite surprise that the proposition of the Pringles to form a
settlement, in such a country as they represented that on Buchannon to
be, was eagerly embraced by many.

In the fall of the ensuing year (1768) Samuel Pringle, and several
others who wished first to examine for themselves, visited the country
which had been so long occupied by the Pringles alone. Being pleased
with it, they, in the following spring, with a few others, repaired
thither, with the view of cultivating as much corn, as would serve
their families the first year after their emigration. And having
examined the country, for the purpose of selecting the most desirable
situations; some of them proceeded to improve the spots of their
choice. John Jackson (who was accompanied by his sons, George and
Edward) settled at the mouth of Turkey run, where his daughter, Mrs.
Davis, now lives--John Hacker[3] higher up on the Buchannon river,
where Bush's fort was afterwards established, and Nicholas Heavener
now lives--Alexander and Thomas Sleeth, near to Jackson's, on what is
now known as the Forenash plantation. The others of the party (William
Hacker, Thomas and Jesse Hughes, John and William Radcliff and John
Brown) appear to have employed their time exclusively in hunting;
neither of them making any improvement of land for his own benefit.
Yet were they of very