148 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



to the sign before his door ; and a bottle of whiskey soon 

 glittered on the table. S. drank no spirits, so only just 

 tasted it once : we did not follow his example, but drank 

 and laughed and talked till late in the night. 



I was much surprised next morning by the view 

 from Dunn's house. AVe were again amongst the hills, 

 the house standing on the eastern spur, which stretches 

 out towards the swamps like a peninsula. The thick 

 white fog, through which not a tree was visible, north, 

 south, or east, looked like the sea, and I was prompted 

 to look out for a sail ; the glowing red ball of the sun 

 as he worked his way through it, cast a roseate hue 

 over all. As the sun rose higher the fog began to dis- 

 perse, and the tips of the highest trees appeared. As 

 the fog vanished, it gave place to a boundless extent of 

 green, unbroken by any rise, save that on which we 

 stood. I remained for a long time in silent admiration 

 of the fascinating sight. 



After breakfast we collected our animals, and drove 

 them towards home, through thorns, creepers, morasses, 

 cane brakes, streams, and woods. Driving a number of 

 cattle, which have never before been under the hand of 

 man, is about as hard work as one can imagine, and a 

 man Avho never swore in his life would be sure to 

 learn it then. But cattle-driving was now our business, 

 and we followed it up with a will. After immense 

 difficulty, we succeeded in bringing them all Avithin the 

 fence in our prairie, secured them with the lasso, branded 

 them with Saint's mark, and left them to themselves till 

 the morning. At dark we spread my buffalo skin on 

 the ground, covered ourselves with Uhl's blanket, and 

 were soon fast asleep. 



