188 IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



most of the water — in fact all of it — was either impregnated 

 with salt, sulphur, or magnesia — most disgusting stuff at 

 any other time, but drinkable now. The worst of all was 

 some rain-water that we were obliged to drink, first placing 

 our handkerchiefs over the cup to strain it, and keep the 

 worms out of our mouths. I drank it, and right glad was I 

 to get even this. We rode about five miles to where we en- 

 camped for the night, near a little pond of water. 



" In a few minutes we had a good fire of offal to drive 

 away mosquitoes that were in clouds about us. The water 

 had taken away our appetites completely, and we went to 

 bed without eating any supper. Our horses and beds were 

 arranged as on the previous evening. McKenzie and I 

 intended starting for the fort early in the morning. 



" We saw a great many magpies, curlews, plovers, 

 doves, and numbers of antelopes. About daylight I awoke 

 and roused McKenzie; a man had gone for the horses, but 

 after a search of two hours returned without finding them; 

 all the party now went off except one man and myself, and 

 all returned without success except Bonaventure, who 

 found an old horse that had been lost since April last. He 

 was dispatched on this to the fort to get other horses, as 

 we had concluded that ours were either lost or stolen. As 

 soon as he had gone, one of the men started again in search 

 of the runaways, and in a short time returned with them. 

 McKenzie and I soon rode off. We saw two grizzly bears 

 at the lake again. Our homeward road we made much 



