8 ENCAMPED. 



position, I found a small plateau which had an in- 

 viting appearance, was well sheltered, and fairly 

 covered with bush, which not only promised shelter 

 but grazing. With the intention of selecting the most 

 suitable spot for my camp that is where, if possible, 

 wood and water could be obtained I traversed 

 possibly a couple of hundred yards, when, re'sting 

 my gun upon a rock, I undid the girths that bound 

 my saddle to the mare, removed the bit from her 

 mouth, and giving her a slap on the rump, ordered 

 her and her companion to go and seek their suppers, 

 while I prepared mine. What a dreadful thing 

 affectionate mothers think it is for their sons to 

 have damp feet ! but here I was so wet that I was 

 positively soaked almost to the loins, and had been 

 so for days, sleeping and travelling in that condition, 

 and yet no harm had resulted. Soon the camp- 

 fire threw out an invigorating blaze, my string of 

 jerked venison sputtered in front of its embers ; and 

 as day waned into darkness, the surrounding objects 

 within easy distance of the blaze stood out in bold 

 relief, and this little secluded spot became imbued 

 with all the attractions usually implied in the word 

 ' home/ How gratefully I enjoyed my repose! Fatigue 

 rendered it unnecessary for me to seek a position in 

 which to be comfortable ; and although clouds of 

 steam rose from my limbs under the influence of the 

 heat, I felt that I was not an unfit object for envy 

 when I compared my present circumstances and 

 position with those I had been placed in for days 



