THE INDIAN PASS. 37 



ourselves up on the few loose boards that furnished a 

 scanty platform. After I had succeeded in reaching 

 this perch, I helped the others up; but Rev. Mr. 



W d was rather too heavy, and, just as he had 



fairly landed on the boards, one gave way, and down 

 he went. I seized him by the collar, while he, with 

 one hand fastened to my leg and the other grasping 

 the timber, succeeded in arresting his fall, and thus 

 probably saved himself a broken limb. We lay in a 

 row, on our backs, along this frail scaffolding, filling 

 it up from end to end, so that if the outside ones 

 should roll a single foot in their sleep, they would be 

 precipitated below. A more uncomfortable night I 

 never passed, and I lay and watched the chinks in 

 the roof for daylight to appear, till it seemed that 

 morning would never come. I resolved never again 

 to abandon my couch of leaves for boards and a 

 ruined hut, through which vermin swarmed in such 

 freedom. At length the welcome light broke slowly 

 over the mighty forest, and I turned out. Huge 

 stones and billets of wood hurled on the roof soon 

 brought forth the rest of our companions, and we 

 started off. We had nothing to eat, and seven weary 

 miles were before us before we could obtain a break- 

 fast. The clear morning air could not revive me, and 

 I pushed on, more dead than alive. At length we 

 emerged into a clearing, and there in a log hut sat 

 our teamster, quietly eating his breakfast. The day 

 before, he had started through the forest, but becom- 

 ing frightened at the wildness and desolateness that 

 increased at every step, he turned back. Hungry, 



