148 THE ADIRONDACK. 



(a Frenchman could not have wished it older ^) and 

 devoured it. I begged the half of a cigar of one of the 

 company, (I offered him five dollars for the w^hole of 

 it,) to stimulate my exhausted system, and we began 

 our descent. We again lost our course and wandered 

 about till, wearied out, and hungry, we sat down in a 

 bed of wild " sheep sorrel," and plucked the green 

 leaves and ate them. An owl fluttered on a branch 

 over head, and I drew up my rifle and fired, but miss- 

 ed him. I verily believe, if I had killed him I should 

 have eaten him on the spot. The doctor declared 

 he would not stir — he would rather die than go any 

 further. We cheered him up with the remembrance of 

 his venison^ at which he made sundry wry faces, not 

 to be mistaken, and which drew peals of laughter 

 from us, weary and faint as we v/ere. The doctor 

 would then stagger on, but it was really pitiful to 

 look back and see him stop, put his shoulder to a tree, 

 and sink his head against the trunk, then slide down 

 in utter exhaustion, on the green moss at the root. 



At length the rifle shot of the clergyman, who had 

 gone on while we tarried for the doctor, announced 

 that he had at last found the lake. This gave new 

 life to our spirits, and we scrambled joyously for- 



