We had to use the utmost precaution not to get out of this material.Sometimes I have known my little Michigan sister, Abbie, to go more thana quarter of a mile, to the Blare place, to borrow fire; on suchoccasions we had to wait for breakfast until she returned. I do not knowthat the fire was ever paid back, but I do know that we had callersfrequently when the errand was to borrow fire.

When I went hunting I was careful to take a piece of this with me. Ibroke or tore it off (it was something like tearing very old cloth). Withthis, a flint and a jackknife I could make a fire in case night overtookme in the woods and I could not get out. Fire was our greatest protectionfrom wild animals and cold in the night. This was the way we kindled ourfire in the Reed house, before "Lucifer matches" or "Telegraph matches"were heard of by us, although they were invented as early as 1833. Afterwe got a little comfortable and rested, and the wood burned down to coalswe cut some slices of venison, laid them on the coals and roasted them.Although we had no salt, the meat tasted fairly good.

Late in the night we took our venison and started again. It was hardwork to follow the path in the thick woods, and we had to feel the waywith our feet mostly as it was quite unlit. We had got about eighty rodsfrom the home when, as unexpected as thunder in the winter, broke uponour startled ears the dismal yells and awful howls of wolves. No doubtthey had smelled our venison and come down from the west, came downalmost upon us and broke out with their hideous yells. The woods seemedto be alive with them. Father said: "Load the rifle quick!" I dropped myvenison, and if ever I loaded a gun quick, in the unlit, it was then. Ithrew in the powder, ran down a ball without a patch, and, strange tosay, before I got the cap on the wolves were gone, or at least they werestill, we didn't even hear them run or trot. What it was that frightenedthem we never knew; whether it was our stopping so boldly or the smellof the powder, or what, I cannot say; but we did refuse to let them haveour venison. We got away with it as quickly as possible and carried itsafety home.