THE BLACK BEAR. 253 



Comanclies came up with me, at any rate I would 

 not die without the glory of fighting for my life. 

 Moreover, it was the only means I had of defending 

 myself in the last extremity against the coyotes, 

 and the idea of falling a prey to these ferocious 

 brutes was insupportable to me. 



Well-nigh dead with hunger, fatigue, and thirst, 

 I felt myself incapable of struggling much longer 

 against the fate which afflicted me, when suddenly 

 I saw something in the distance that looked like a 

 clump of trees. At this sight I summoned up all 

 the strength remaining to me, and forgetting all my 

 sorrow, I ran forward, crying out " Water ! water ! 

 water ! " 



As I approached the spot, I could make out a 

 few little hillocks, and soon selected the spot where 

 a stream of water was probably flowing. 



I was not deceived. In about an hour I reached 

 the nearest hillock. It was covered with brush- 

 wood, and at the foot I saw what seemed to be a 

 silver thread winding along. It was a stream of 

 water. I threw my gun aside so as to get on faster, 

 and cast myself down beside the long- wished -for 

 stream, plunging my head deeply into it. It was 

 as salt as the water of the sea. At this horrible 

 disappointment, the blood rushed to my head, and 

 I fell to the ground, losing all consciousness. 



I do not know how long I remained in this posi- 

 tion, but the coolness of the water, in which my 



