FOREST LIFE, 79 



in the stream. Again and again I essayed to escape to the shore, 

 but from the same causes failed of its accomplishment. My sit- 

 uation was becoming more critical every moment. Sometimes 

 my horse was making his way over large rocks ; then, suddenly 

 coming to deeper portions of the channel, would lose his footing 

 entirely, and swim with me upon his back. All this time the 

 darkness was intense, the tempest raged with unabated fury, 

 while the already swollen current continued to increase. The 

 solemnity of the midnight hour, rendered terrible by the tempest 

 overhead and threatening waters beneath, filled my mind with 

 painful apprehensions. The awful grandeur of God seemed to 

 pass before me, proclaimed in the voice of his thunder. Death, 

 the judgment, and my sins stood before me ; and I felt constrained 

 to implore His protecting mercy. At length the lightning revealed 

 a camp just upon the bank. Here I was able to leave the chan- 

 nel of the river, whose banks had so long held me a prisoner. 



" Supposing that I had found the object of my hazardous search, 

 I dismounted, and, flinging the bridle from my horse's head, left 

 him to shift for himself, and hastened to enter ; but, to my amaze- 

 ment, it proved an old, deserted, and solitary camp. Here, how- 

 ever, I resolved to worry out the remainder of the night. The 

 wind chopping round to the northwest, it ceased raining and 

 grew very cold, so that before daylight the rain-drops froze upon 

 the bushes ; and, beginning to be very chilly, I found that exercise 

 was necessary to keep me warm. The darkness was yet so great 

 that I could see nothing ; and, for fear of thrusting my head 

 against the roof, I threw myself down and crawled about on my 

 hands and knees, until, wearied with my exertions, 1 felt the 

 need of ropose. I then dug a hole down in the old boughs, which 

 had been used by the former occupants as a bed, crawled into it, 

 and covered myself entirely under the rubbish, except my lace. 

 For a few moments 1 thought. I should he able to sloop, hut my 

 hopes were speedily dissipated. I had not lain long before 1 was 



