Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . nd the approach of darkness then enabledhim to effect his escape. A PERILOUS ADVENTURE IN A CANOE. One morning in September, 1817, Solomon Sweatland, of Con-neaut, on the Ohio shore of Lake Erie, had risen at the earliestdawn to enjoy his favorite amusement of hunting deer. This ex-citing sport he had been accustomed to follow in connection with afriend and neighbor, who, by the aid of dogs, would drive the deerinto the lake, where S
Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . nd the approach of darkness then enabledhim to effect his escape. A PERILOUS ADVENTURE IN A CANOE. One morning in September, 1817, Solomon Sweatland, of Con-neaut, on the Ohio shore of Lake Erie, had risen at the earliestdawn to enjoy his favorite amusement of hunting deer. This ex-citing sport he had been accustomed to follow in connection with afriend and neighbor, who, by the aid of dogs, would drive the deerinto the lake, where Sweatland would pursue them in his canoe andshoot them without difficulty. On the present occasion he had lefthis cabin without his coat or waistcoat to listen for the baying ofthe dogs as they drove the deer. The welcome sound soon greetedhis ears, and he was surprised to find that a noble buck had alreadytaken the water, and was some little distance out in the lake. In w^the enthusiasm of the moment he threw his hat upon the beach,jumped into his canoe, and put off after the animal, with everynerve thrilling with intense interest in the pursuit. The wind,. 68 A PERILOUS ADVENTURE IN A CANOE. which had been blowing steadily from the south during the night,had now increased to a gale, but he was too intent upon securing the valuable prize which wasMi^ breasting the waves in advance to heed the dictates of prudence. The race promised to be a longSf^ one, for the deer was a powerful animal, and was not to be easily beaten by a log canoe and a ~~~ single paddle. A considerable AFTER THE DEER. dlstancc from the land had been attained, and the canoe had shipped a heavy sea before he overtook the deer, who turned and made for the shore. Upon tacking to pursue him, Sweatland was at once apprised ofhis danger by the fact that, with his utmost exertions, he not onlymade no progress in the desired direction, but, on the contrary, wasdrifting further out to sea. He had been observed in his
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectfrontierandpioneerli
