s interrupted by a
broken range of hills.

After incredible fatigue to both horses and men, for we were obliged to
dismount and carry our arms and saddle-bags, the ascent was finally
achieved. When we arrived at the summit, we found below us a peaceful
and romantic valley, through the centre of which the river winded its
way, and was fed by innumerable brooks, which joined it in every
direction. Their immediate borders were fringed with small trees, bushes
of the deepest green, while the banks of the river were skirted with a
narrow belt of timber, of larger and more luxuriant growth.

This valley was encircled by the range of hills we had ascended, so far
as to the belt of the forest. We led our horses down the declivity, and
in less than an hour found ourselves safe at the bottom. A brisk ride of
three or four miles through the valley brought us to the edge of the
forest, where we encamped near a small creek, and after another good
night's rest, we pushed on through a mass of the noblest maple and
pine-trees I had ever seen. Now game abounded; turkeys, bears, and deer,
were seen almost every minute, and, as we advanced, the traces of mules
and jackasses were plainly visible. A little further on, the footprints
of men were also discovered, and from their appearance they were but a
few hours' old. This sight made us forget our fatigues, and we hurried
on, with fond anticipations of finding a speedy termination to all our
sufferings.

Late in the afternoon, I killed a very fat buck, and although we were
anxious to follow the tracks, to ascertain what description of
travellers were before us, our horses were so tired, and our appetites
so sharpened, that upon reflection, we thought it desirable to remain
where we were. I took this opportunity of making myself a pair of
mocassins, with the now useless saddle-bags of the parson.

That evening we were in high glee, thinking that we had arrived at one
of the recent settlements of western emigration, for, as I have
observed, we had seen tracks of jackasses, and these animals are never
employed upon any distant journey. We fully expected the next morning to
find some log houses, within ten or fifteen miles, where we should be
able to procure another horse for the parson, and some more ammunition,
as we had scarcely half a pound of balls left between us. The lawyer
enjoyed, by anticipation, the happiness of once more filling his
half-gallon flask, and the doctor promised to