68 HUNTING SPOETS OF THE WEST. 



the rather heavy skin with me till the evening, and slept 

 soundly on it for my trouble. A damp fog came on to- 

 wards morning, which soon turned to fine penetrating 

 rain, seeming to foretell a disagreeable day ; but as I 

 had enjoyed beautiful weather in general, I could not 

 complain. The sky became quite dark, the rain fell 

 heavier, and I was soon wet through. I left the panther 

 skin where I had slept, so that I had no heavy burden 

 to carry. I found my stomach beginning to loathe the 

 quantity of animal food that was put into it, and to long 

 for bread, but I was obliged to divert my thoughts from 

 the subject, and the last remains of the venison were dis- 

 creetly devoured. Meantime I had killed a turkey, so 

 that at all events I had something in store. 



My plan hitherto had been to push on to the nearest 

 eastern settlement ; but the road was too long and tedi- 

 ous, so I turned southwards, in order afterwards to pro- 

 ceed eastward towards Louisiana and the Red river. 

 The constant rain made it impossible to light a fire this 

 evening, and I passed a miserable night, for though I 

 tried to make a shelter of pieces of bark, I could not 

 manage it ; however, the night came at last to an end, 

 and cold, cross, and hungry as a lion, I went along with 

 only a plucked turkey in my bag. 



About noon my day's journey was brought to an un- 

 expected end by a river that had overflowed its banks. 

 The rain had ceased, so that, with better fortune than 

 yesterday, I succeeded in making a fire, and my turkey, 

 divided into four quarters, was soon in front of it. Now, 

 eomfortably stretched before my fire, I considered 

 whether I should cross the river ; I had no sort of busi- 



