208 SUFFERINGS OF LIEUTENANT o'sfllEN. 



with the noise and whistling of a fowler with a dog, and in a few minutes 

 we heard the report of his piece : the shot rattled through the bushes in which 

 we lay, and a partridge perched close to us. This circumstance alarmed us 

 prodigiously, we could hear the man and dog advancing towards the very 

 spot. To move would have been imprudent; since he was so very close, that 

 it was impossible to avoid being discovered. We waited the event, without 

 the smallest hope of escaping from being seen — the dog advanced — flushed 

 the partridge nearly at our feet — the fowler close to us : fortunately the bird 

 took an opposite direction to where we remained concealed, and the master 

 and dog followed : and in a few minutes relieved us from the consternation 

 they had thrown us into. 



This was the second very providential escape we had from a fowler or 

 poacher: it is not in my power to give the reader a just idea of our feelings; 

 they are much easier conceived than described : since they were literally 

 incident to our nature on such occasions, I shall decline any further explana- 

 tion of them. 



At the usual hour, we commenced our peregrination, and were happy to 

 find that our sick friend was fast improving. We walked a great distance 

 this night, to endeavour to make up for the number of times we had been 

 obliged to halt, and this exertion was very near proving dangerous. At day- 

 light, Tuesday, September 15th, 1807, we found ourselves in an open plain : 

 two or three villages were in sight, but not the least appearance of a wood. 

 We were determined, as our comrade found himself much better, not to 

 approach any of those places : accordingly, we proceeded forward, avoiding 

 them as much as possible. We perceived, when we bad passed the first, a 

 shrubbery, or young wood, adjoining the second ; advanced quickly, and 

 entered at a part most remote from the village; it proved to be a nursery, 

 and very thin : however, after searching some time, we discovered a toler- 

 ably good place, where we remained until the usual time to make a sortie, 

 about 11. As we were passing a small village, excessively thirsty, and not 

 being able to discover any watering place, we agreed to border close,Jn hopes 

 of being able to procure some water at one of the wells, with which these 

 villages abound. Messrs. A. and our sick comrade, were employed in getting 

 some, while Mr. Tutliill and myself retired to a small distance, under cover 

 of a quick-set hedge : two women and a man passed close by us ; the women 

 continued to walk on, but the latter halted, and turned on his heel — I was 

 next to him; he eyed me closely, and exclaimed, Vous etes Anglois ! to which 

 I replied, Je suis aussi bon Francois, que vous je I'espere— the only time iu 

 the whole course of my life that I had felt afraid to acknowledge my country ; 

 — but since that period, I have been frequently under the necessity of being 

 of different countries, and of assuming difterent names. The women hearing 

 the conversation, called to the fellow, "to come along, and mind his own 

 business;" he appeared to wish to continue; but, upon their repeatedly 

 calling to him, he parted. Had we not been contiguous to a house, his 

 curiosity might iiave proved of a very disagreeable nature to him. Having 

 been joined by our companions, we proceeded. At the break of day, Wed- 

 nesday, September 16., 1807, we got into an excellent thick wood, and found 

 a material change in the weather, as we advanced to the northward. Some- 

 times a sort of grey frost, which made us extremely cold, before the rising of 

 the sun. Nor could we, at all times, receive the benefit of that heavenly 

 body until noon, owing to the thickness of the part of the wood that we were 

 (when practicable) obliged to occupy : here we found abundance of filberts } 

 we filled our pockets with them, and felt particularly happy at succeeding thus 

 far. This was the last wood we expected to inhabit, prior to our seeing the 

 sea-coast ; and we were, at times, replete with the idea of its being the last 



