Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/64

 I now proved that "hunger is a good sauce," for I made a hearty meal at M'Callum's, spite of a dirty room, a sickly woman, and bad tea, which last even when good, I disapprove of, especially for breakfast, but having always had coffee hitherto, without ordering it, I had neglected doing so now, and I was too hungry and too scrupulous of giving trouble to direct or await a change. This was the second sickly landlady I had seen amongst these mountains, which has impressed me with an idea, that the air is too keen and trying for delicate constitutions.

When I returned into the bar room, from the breakfast parlour, if a small dirty room with a bed in it deserves that appellation, I found a traveller in it, who had two horses at the door, the use of one of which he had offered to my fellow pedestrian (who, as he carried provision in a knap-*sack, had not breakfasted with me,) on condition of his being at the expence of feeding him on the road. He was {41} just declining the offer as I entered, so I embraced it gladly, and the young man agreed to take me up as soon as he should overtake me on the road, as he had to await his brother who was to accompany him, and I expressed a wish to walk before over the Tuscarora mountain, both to enjoy the scenery, and to avoid the danger of riding over it three miles, with the road in many parts like glass, from the freezing of the snow after a partial thaw. I set off with my former companion, who I had regaled with a gill of whiskey, but as I occasionally stopped to admire the beauties of nature in that mountainous and romantick district, he not being equally struck with them, preferred making the best of his way, so walked on before, and separated from me without ceremony, which I was not sorry for, as it left me more at liberty and leisure to proceed as I pleased.

As I ascended, the views of the valley behind were very