THE BLACK BEAR. 



249 



By its black plumage and grey beak, I knew it to 

 be a raven, and thinking that it had come to await 

 my death, I regarded it as an evil omen. " Bird of 

 evil," I cried, " begone ! I am not for you, yet." 

 But instead of being alarmed at my cries, the raven 

 fluttered down upon the ground. At first I thought 

 it was going to attack me ; but presently I saw that 

 it contented itself with picking up very peaceably 

 a number of round objects which were scattered 

 about. These objects attracted my attention, and 

 to my great joy, I discovered that they were snails. 

 The ground was covered with them, and I had no 

 longer any dread of perishing from hunger. I got 

 up immediate!}' and collected a large quantity of the 

 snails which I devoured with the keenest appetite. 



Feeling my strength somewhat restored by this 

 repast, I began to examine my situation a little 

 more cooll3% The only chance before me was to 

 extricate myself from the desert plain. My life 

 depended on doing so, and the sooner the better. 



The first point to settle was, what direction should 

 I take. I examined the position of the sun. It 

 was then setting, and just about to sink. Our 

 march had been westward, and therefore my road 

 to San Antonio must lie towards the east. In the 

 midst of that vast plain, I had no landmark to 

 guide me ; my shadow must serve me for a compass. 

 The main thing was to keep that shadow behind 

 me all the morning, and before me in the after- 



