252 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



ceded, however, occasionally to the pangs of hunger, 

 and then giving way to a paroxysm of rage, I threw 

 myself upon the ground, as if to browse upon the 

 very grass beneath my feet. 



For all this, I continued walking onwards, for 

 even the motion assuaged the intensity of my 

 sufferings. By a strange phenomenon, my wearied 

 body occasionally regained the sense of its vigour 

 and elasticity, and even in some of the fantastic 

 visions which visited me I sometimes saw before 

 me, as in a magnificent panorama, some of the 

 sweetest scenes of my past existence, and the 

 beings most dear to my heart, but all, in a manner, 

 spiritualised. Then it was as if I were in a celestial 

 world peopled by angels, who regarded me with a 

 tender and touching air, shedding floods of tears 

 over my sad destiny, and then whisking around me 

 in the most voluptuous dances. I raised my arms 

 as if to seize these enchantresses, when, lo ! a 

 frightful pang of hunger recalled me from the de- 

 lightful dream, and awakened me to the horrible 

 reality. Once more I was restored to life, but what 

 a life ! 



In this plight I walked on for two long days. I 

 had kept possession of my gun, but it seemed fear- 

 fully heavy, like the club of a giant. Its weight 

 oppressed me cruelly, and I often thought it would 

 be better to throw it away as a useless burden, 

 but resisted the temptation, thinking that, if the 



