AUTHOR LOSES THE PARTY. 207 



ered the tracks of horses' feet, which I followed for some 

 time, and which led to a chain of small hills, with a rocky 

 gravelly bottom, on which the hoofs made no impression. 

 Having thus lost the tracks, I ascended the highest of 

 the hills, from which I had an extended view of many 

 miles around ; but saw no sign of the party, or the lea.st 

 indication of human habitations. The evening was now 

 closing fast, and with the approach of night a heavy dew 

 commenced falling. The whole of my clothes consisted 

 merely of a gingham shirt, nankeen trousers, and a pair 

 of light leather moccasins, much worn. About an hour 

 before breakfast, in consequence of the heat, I had taken 

 oft* my coat, and placed it on one of the loaded horses, 

 intending to put it on towards the cool of the evening ; 

 and one of the men had charge of my fowling-piece. I 

 was even without my hat ; for in the agitated state of 

 my mind on awaking, I had left it behind, and had ad- 

 vanced too far to think of returning for it. At some 

 distance on my left, I observed a field of high, strong 

 grass, to which I proceeded, and after pulling enough to 

 place under and over me, I recommended myself to the 

 Almighty, and fell asleep. During the night confused 

 dreams of warm houses, feather-beds, poisoned arrows, 

 prickly-pears, and rattlesnakes, haunted my disturbed 

 imagination. 



On the 18th I arose with the sun, quite wet and chilly, 

 the heavy dew having completely saturated my flimsy 

 covering, and proceeded in an easterly direction, nearly 

 parallel with the chain of hills. In the course of the 

 day I passed several small lakes full of wild-fowl. The 

 general appearance of the country was flat, the soil 'light 



