NEW YEAR'S EVE. 129 



turned to the camp, to have the help of my companion to 

 follow up the trail next day, taking half the doe on my 

 shoulders as I went along. I found Conwell occupied 

 with a very fat turkey. 



Tired with all the climbing, we wrapped ourselves in 

 our blankets, arid threw ourselves down for a nap ; but 

 the sun setting, and wind getting colder and sharper, did 

 not allow us much repose, but warned us to make a fire, 

 and a good fire too, for the night. Wood was abundant, 

 and we had only to move a few steps for as much as we 

 wanted. The sun had hardly disappeared behind the 

 trees on the western mountains, when it became dark in 

 our ravine ; the twilight did not last more than ten min- 

 utes. It was the last day of the year. In my native 

 land, many a happy pair were forgetting past pains and 

 sorrows in the tumult of the dance in lighted halls ; while 

 I was stretched under the starry skies beside a crackling 

 fire in the forest, my trusty rifle and faithful dog by my 

 side. I had no mind for dancing or music ; for seven 

 months I had not heard from home, and seemed to have 

 got wedged in among the mountains, with the world closed 

 behind me, all retreat cut off, and nothing left but to ad- 

 vance : and yet the future offered no inviting picture ; 

 alone, in the endless wilderness, I stood, with hair turn- 

 ing gray a solitary hunter, leaning on my rifle, separated 

 from all I loved. 



Old Hawkeye must have . had many a sorrowful hour. 



Meantime, my companion, leaning on his elbow, was 



gazing on the fire, and lost in recollections of the past ; 



but his past must have been a happy one, for he often 



smiled to himself. He had lived an active life, and 



9 



