Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/66

 enjoyed, from the contrast with the wretched appearance without.

On remounting, my mare started, and a bag of rye and corn for provender which was on the saddle under me, falling off, I fell with it. One of my companions checked his horse suddenly and threw himself off to assist me, and I was under both horses' feet for some seconds; but seizing the forefeet of the horse from which I apprehended the greatest danger, I pulled them towards me, threw him down, and at the same time scrambling from under him, I providentially escaped with only a slight bruise on my left leg, and a rent in my pantaloons. My gun which was loaded, and which I carried slung at my back, was thrown some distance from me without injury.

We soon after overtook my late foot companion, who I believe now regretted that he had not prevented my ride, as he seemed a good deal fatigued. We advised him to bargain for a ride with a packer with {43} two light horses, who we had past a little way behind, and we pushed on to a mountain called Sideling-hill, eight miles from Hull's; which we ascended a mile, and then put up for the night, at a very good tavern, kept by Daniel Coyle, who also owns a fine farm between the ridges of the mountain.

I got an excellent supper alone, my fellow travellers carrying their provisions with them: I had also a good bed with sheets, but the pain of my blistered foot, which had been augmented by hanging from the saddle in riding, prevented my closing my eyes to sleep until three o'clock, when as exhausted nature was just beginning to induce a temporary oblivion of pain, James Wilson the oldest of my fellow travellers called us to horse, as he said, we must this day make a journey of upwards of forty miles. His brother William, who like myself had never travelled that road