74 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



of me with the butt of my gun. It took four hours 

 to do the two miles, and only the conviction that I 

 must either break through the ice or drown, gave me 

 force to carry out my resolution. At length I reached 

 a fence, and stepped on dry ground. I endeavored to 

 climb over in vain ; my lower garments and limbs 

 were frozen too hard. I was obliged to pull down u 

 part of it to make a passage, and it was not till I had 

 been more than an hour by the lire that I was thawed 

 enough to be able to move freely. 



The continuation of the road w;is dry, with one short 

 exception ; and the next house that I came to was 

 quite, a harbor of refuge for this night, as I was much 

 in need of rest and refreshment. 



I now for the first time saw the wide prairies which 

 extend through Illinois, and present a dismal prospect 

 in this cold season. The long waving yellow grass 

 gives a melancholy tint to the picture ; the wide spread 

 straw-colored surface, fringed by a forest in the dis- 

 tant horizon, depresses the spirits. The frost had set 

 in again, so that at least I could follow my route with 

 dry feet, and at a good pace. The first head of large 

 game that I fell in with was a buck, making long 

 jumps through th<- high grass, and putting up large 

 flocks of prairie fowl, which Hew to some distance 

 before they settled. Ju the house where I passed the 

 night, I gave mv gun a thorough cleaning, and put it 

 in good condition. On the following morning, about 

 eight o'clock, I came to the Fox river, where I found 

 two houses. To my astonishment, this al-o wa-; a 

 town, and called "\Vaterton. A verv prettv American 

 woman, who kept a sort of tavern, set bread and milk 



