MORRIS'S PARTNER. 1 1 5 



vain efforts to escape, but its exertions soon became 

 weaker, and at length entirely ceased. The varie- 

 gated coat of the animal by which the poor bird 

 had been slaughtered led me to believe that it was 

 a skunk, but the distance was too great to be 

 certain ; and I determined, therefore, to intercept 

 its progress to land. From an admirable hiding- 

 place among the aquatic herbage, I gave the object 

 of my stalk the contents of my gun when it was 

 within twenty paces, and on picking up its carcass 

 found that my supposition was correct. 



As the last of the waggons and animals were 

 being got over Corn Creek I joined them. There 

 was scarcely a single member of the* company that 

 had not been in the water a great portion of the 

 day. In consequence of this grog was served out, 

 and as the weather was better, and we had every 

 prospect of a dry night, the whole camp looked 

 forward to a spree. 



After all was made snug for the evening, Morris, 

 his partner (who by the way was a most extra- 

 ordinary man, knowing every place and person in 

 the country, speaking about half-a-dozen languages, 

 and glorying in the name of Rochefort, although his 

 English was of the greatest purity), and myself, 

 retired to the shelter of one of the waggons, 

 where we passed the time pleasantly in playing at 

 cards. 



The night had already approached the small 

 hours, and I had made up my mind that the present 



