The autumn and its beauty deepened. The colors of the foliage grew more
intense and burned afar like flame. The settlers lightened their work
and most of them now spent a large part of the time in hunting, pursuing
it with the keen zest, born of a natural taste and the relaxation from
heavy labors. Mr. Ware and a few others, anxious to test the qualities
of the soil, were plowing up newly cleared land to be sown in wheat, but
Henry was compelled to devote only a portion of his time to this work.
The remaining hours, not needed for sleep, he was usually in the forest
with Paul and the others.
The hunting was now glorious. Less than three miles from the fort and
about a mile from the river Henry and Paul found a beaver dam across a
tributary creek and they laid rude traps for its builders, six of which
they caught in the course of time. Ross and Sol showed them how to take
off the pelts which would be of value when trade should be opened with
the east, and also how to cook beaver tail, a dish which could, with
truth, be called a rival of buffalo hump.
Now the settlers began to accumulate a great supply of game at
Wareville.
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110