WILDERNESS LIFE. 275 



soon packed, and nothing remained further to delay 

 me. Still I waited a quarter of an hour longer, for 

 the purpose of building a pile of wood, in which I 

 placed some smoldering embers, in the hope that it 

 would not blaze up till several hours after dark an 

 indication that I doubted not the redskins would 

 construe into a certain evidence that I was still ig- 

 norant of being discovered. On my arrival in the 

 Bayou my mare had been a little tender in front 

 from her hoofs having been worn very close ; the 

 period of rest had rectified this, and, full of hope and 

 anticipation, I pushed my way eastward, the only 

 regret that passed like a cloud over my mind occur- 

 ring as I took the last, ay, and long look, at my 

 wilderness home. 



