60 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



where, having been employed on a steamboat, he had 

 quarreled with the captain and got set on shore, on the 

 banks of the Arkansaw river. His narrative proceeds 

 thus : 



All around me was a solitary wilderness ; the river 

 behind me, the ground frozen hard, and covered with a 

 thin sheet of snow, a cold north wind blowing through 

 the leafless branches. I felt in my pocket for my fire 

 apparatus, it was all wet ; not a single grain of powder in 

 my powder-horn, and only one barrel loaded. I thought 

 it would never do to discharge my gun for the sake of 

 lighting a fire, and remain unarmed in the wilderness. 

 I cleared away the snow from under a tree, lay down, 

 and tried to sleep ; but the wind was too sharp, the cold 

 insupportable, and I was afraid of being frozen. Driven to 

 extremity, I discharged my gun against the root of a tree 

 lighted a match by the burning wadding, collected dry 

 grass and wood, and in a minute or two had a glorious 

 fire. 



Although I heard the howls of several wolves, I did 

 not mind them, but enjoyed a sound sleep. Certainly, 

 on the following morning, I trudged on, rather out of 

 spirits, with no powder, and a very hungry stomach. 



I followed the direction of the river downwards, in 

 hopes of finding a house. After I had gone some dis- 

 tance, I saw an old half-sunken canoe. I baled out the 

 water with my cap, and found that she was still service- 

 able. My former intentions of visiting Texas, returned 

 in full force ; I decided on crossing to the other side, to 

 look for a house, and procure food and powder, and re- 



