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3 and hungry after fasting two previous days.

Our blankets, skins and rifles were loads sufficient for strong men: but in our feeble state were almost more than we could sustain, however we pushed on to the southward through the woods, hoping to reach another creek distant about 25 miles where we might find some hickory nuts or perhaps kill a squirrel for our dinners, & also camp for the night.

Whilst plodding along, following one after the other in Indian fashion, the report of a rifle, just before us caused us to come to a sudden halt. We presently heard the snapping of twigs, and noise of some animal bounding over the brittle twigs, and soon three deer leaped across our path, a fine buck leading at a tremendous pace. To cock my rifle, & let drive at him, was the work of an instant, but I had the mortification of seeing the hairs fly from his back by the [[?], but the deer bound off unhurt.

An Indian soon after emerged from the shadow of the trees, and approaching, we at once knew him to be a Pottawatomie, by his paint and particularly by a above the next word, the number "2" peculiar kind of turban which is much worn by this people.

He told us, that many of his people were out in the woods but from the unpropitious state of the weather had been as unfortunate as ourselves in not killing game, that many of them were nearly perishing from want of food, & that he himself had been 2 days without other food than a few frozen acorns.

He had shot at the deer, which passed us, but they were running, he imagined, before wolves, and too rapidly to give him a chance of hitting one. However, he told us that he had seen some raccoon tracks not far off, and he might perhaps succeed in finding & killing one of these animals. The anticipation of roasted 'coon, soon put us on the track, and following our Pottawatomie guide a short distance through the woods, he pointed to a log, at the top of which there was still a little snow, and where the luckless raccoon had imprinted his not to be mistaken track. However, the ground was so intensely frozen, that on leaving the log, no traces of our game was perceptible even to an Indian eye, and dispersing, we sought a long time in vain, in different directions, for any evidence of the fugitive. At length a shout from one of the Indian boys proclaimed his success and following the sound to a lofty hickory, we found the boy carefully examining the bark of the tree,