206 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



After walking and riding eight hours, I need not say 

 we made a hearty breakfast ; after which I wandered 

 some distance along the banks of the rivulet in search of 

 cherries, and came to a sweet little arbor formed by 

 sumach and cherry trees. I pulled a quantity of the 

 fruit, and sat down in the retreat to enjoy its refreshing 

 coolness. It was a charming spot, and on the opposite 

 bank was a delightful wilderness of crimson haw, honey- 

 suckles, wild roses, and currants ; its resemblance to a 

 friend's summer-house, in which I had spent many happy 

 days, brought back home, with all its endearing recollec- 

 tions ; and my scattered thoughts were successively oc- 

 cupied with the past, the present, and the future. In 

 this state I fell into a kind of pleasing, soothing revery, 

 which, joined to the morning's fatigue, gradually sealed 

 my eyelids ; and unconscious of my situation, I resigned 

 myself to the influence of the drowsy god. Imagine my 

 feelings when I awoke in the evening, I think it was 

 about five o'clock from the declining appearance of the 

 sun ! All was calm and silent as the grave. I hastened 

 to the spot where we had breakfasted : I ran to the place 

 where the men had made their fire : all, all were gone, 

 and not a vestige of man or horse appeared in the valley. 

 My senses almost failed me. I called out, in vain, in 

 every direction, until I became hoarse ; and I could no 

 longer conceal from myself the dreadful truth that I was 

 alone in a wild, uninhabited country, without horse or 

 arms, and destitute of covering. 



Having now no resource but to ascertain the direction 

 which the party had taken, I set about examining the 

 ground, and at the northeast point of the valley discov- 



