ON THE PRAIRIE 145 



lowed it well in the moonlight. Our task 

 proved easier than we had feared ; for they 

 had not run much over half a mile, and we 

 found them standing close together and 

 looking intently round when we came up. 

 Leading them back we again went to sleep ; 

 but the weather was rapidly changing, and 

 by three o'clock a fine rain began to come 

 steadily down, and we cowered and shiv- 

 ered under our wet blankets till morning. 

 At the first streak of dawn, having again 

 eaten a couple of biscuits, we were off, glad 

 to bid good-bye to the inhospitable pool, in 

 whose neighborhood we had spent such a 

 comfortless night. A fine, drizzling mist 

 shrouded us and hid from sight all distant 

 objects; and at times there were heavy 

 downpours of rain. Before we had gone 

 any distance we became what is termed by 

 backwoodsmen or plainsmen, " turned 

 round," and the creeks suddenly seemed to 

 be running the wrong way ; after which we 

 travelled purely by the compass. 

 For some hours we kept a nearly straight 



