24 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



which I had just come, I saw a thin wreath of blue 

 smoke curhng up amongst the trees, which evidently 

 proceeded from a wood fire, not a grass one, and 

 which I argued must have been kindled by human 

 beings, in all probability Masaras, who would be able 

 to guide me to Pelatsi ; so I promptly determined 

 to retrace my steps once more, and make for the 

 fire. After a time I got to about where I thought 

 the fire ought to be, but, on climbing a high tree, no 

 smoke was visible, as it had no doubt died out ; so, 

 coming to the conclusion that the road was really 

 behind me, and cursing my folly for having wasted 

 so much time in following such a "will-o'-the-wisp," 

 I again turned my jaded horse towards the setting 

 sun, hoping, by keeping steadily at it, to recross the 

 road before sundown. 1 may here say that, as I 

 afterwards found out, I never had crossed the road 

 in the night, as I imagined, but must twice have 

 turned and ridden away from it when within but a 

 short distance ; for, beheving that it held a north- 

 easterly direction, instead of turning suddenly due 

 east, as it does, a ftw miles beyond Lemouni, I could 

 not but imagine (after riding such a distance almost 

 parallel to it, as it turned out) that I had crossed it. 

 It was by this time tolerably late in the afternoon ; 

 but I still hoped to reach the waggons before night- 

 fall, and kept my spirits up by thinking how I should 

 enjoy a cup of tea and a damper with my companions 

 round the camp fire. But, as the sun dipped lower 

 and lower in the western sky, my spirits sank with 

 it, and at last, when it finally disappeared, I had to 

 prepare for a second night on the bare ground, 

 without food, water, fire, or blanket. Cutting a 

 little dry grass, I laid it down behind a bush, and 

 my bed was made. Although I had twice ofF-saddled 



