A WEARY WALK. 147 



which I had left behind me, walking faster so as to get back to 

 the ranche that evening if possible, having thirty-five miles to 

 do, if I went straight, and this I was not likely to do in such 

 weather. I halted for a few minutes now and then, sitting down 

 on the ground, where there was now more water than grass. 



Night came and found me still tramping on, though very 



tired, the going being very slippery, especially as I was wearing 



moccasins, and about ten o'clock I lay down and went to 



sleep, with my hat over my eyes, and slept nearly all night in 



spite of rain and mosquitoes. I was so stiff in the morning 



that I could hardly get up, and had to rub my legs for some 



time before I could start again. About noon I reached the 



stage road, and the question now, and a very important one, 



was, had I struck the road above or below Martin's ? If the 



former I was all right, as the Fort was on one side of me and 



the ranche cm the other ; but if the latter and I took the wrong 



direction, there was nothing between me and Lincoln city, a 



distance of about eighty miles, which probably meant death. 



I therefore determined to leave it to chance, tossing up a coin, 



and deciding that it should be " heads up" and " tails down." 



It came heads, so I turned up, and struggled along till about 



nine at night, when I saw lights ahead, which proved to be the 



ranche. Here I was so done that I could not mount the three 



small steps to the door, and fell against them. The rattle 



made by my rifle brought them all out, when a few words 



explained the state of affairs, and I was carried upstairs and 



put to bed. Mrs. Martin made me some soup and fed me, as I 



was so stiff that I could not do it myself. I slept sixteen 



hours, and on waking could not turn myself in bed, everything 



having to be done for me, and nothing could exceed the kind- 



L2 



