SALT-LICK. 193 



surface was as much broken up as if it had been the 

 floor of a well-stocked hog-pen. For this I accounted 

 by concluding that the spot was a salt-lick, always a 

 place of the greatest attraction for tame as well as 

 wild ruminants. I felt convinced if such was the 

 case that I had better keep my weather eye open, 

 for some of the carnivora were certain to be in the 

 vicinity, it being well known that wherever deer 

 assemble in numbers their enemies are not slow to 

 discover their retreat. The trees I remarked were 

 unusually large, and, although they grew sufficiently 

 apart to induce a growth of underbrush, it was not 

 so thick and tangled as to prevent a view of over a 

 hundred yards ahead from my position. 



Whether it was the result of animal magnetism 

 or not, I cannot say ; but I felt convinced that I 

 was not far distant from animals of some sort. Acting 

 under this impression, I moved cautiously and slowly, 

 making the most careful scrutiny of every object 

 within vision, and employing my ears to the utmost 

 of their abilities. But although I could not observe 

 anything that warranted this precaution, I did not 

 discontinue, but rather redoubled it. 



Peering into the labyrinth of limbs, and looking 

 well before me, I saw something move. The 

 smallest glimpse of a portion of the sky, which I 

 had noted, was for a moment obscured ; but al- 

 though I was aware this could not be without 

 a cause, for some time I could not discover what 

 it was. After turning my eyes frequently in 



o 



