PKESENTIMENTS OF EVIL. 129 



thrown to them, and one night, when the cold was more 

 rigorous than usual, on awaking to add fresh fuel to the 

 fire, I saw one of them sitting heside the warm embers, 

 nodding his head like a sleepy listener to a prosy sermon. 

 Every day I expected to be able to set out. The appear- 

 ance of the sky denoted change as I turned in on the last 

 evening of my stay in this remote corner of the earth, but 

 whether it was anticipation of the good things to be 

 obtained when civilisation had been reached, I know not, 

 or an unaccountable consciousness that danger was not far 

 distant, I could not sleep. First I tried one side and then 

 the other, but without effect. As it was not cold the fire 

 had gradually decayed till only a few embers remained, 

 making the surrounding darkness more intense. While I 

 was hesitating whether the rebuilding of the fire or a fresh 

 pipe would induce sleep, uneasiness seemed to have taken 

 possession of my animals. The mule was as watchful as a 

 dog, and as I knew he would not leave his friend, I 

 invariably left him untied. Several times he uttered that 

 short quick snort so peculiar to the species, and always 

 indicative of alarm ; while the mare kept moving as far as 

 her lariat rope would permit her. It might be anything, 

 from a deer to an Indian ; so, as my arms were at hand, I 

 quietly laid hold of them, and crawled out of my lair, 

 taking special caution that no momentary flicker from the 

 fire should disclose my movements, and by a short detour 

 got beside the nags, and soon had the soft, silky muzzle of 

 Becky in the palm of my hand. 



The greatest disaster a man can suffer in such a situation 

 is the loss of either his ammunition or of his horses. If 



9 



