152 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



there was more game there, and we only waited Uhl's 

 recovery to put it in execution. 



On July 22ud Uhl felt tolerably well, so we started in 

 company with a long Kentuckyman, who happened to 

 be there, to have a look at the country, and to fix on a 

 place for our tent. As it was late in the afternoon when 

 we started, it was almost dark when we arrived. We 

 'vj'ere deceived in our expectations of finding game, and 

 had to go hungry to sleep, having brought no pro- 

 visions with us, except a morsel of bread and a couple 

 of onions. "We had made sure of killing a deer before 

 dark, but had reckoned without our host. It was a 

 beautiful night, mosquitoes excepted ; we had nothing 

 to wish for beyond a good supper. A bright fire was 

 soon blazing up, for notwithstanding the heat of the 

 days the nights were cold. 



Our American friend, Jim by name, was very much 

 afraid of snakes, which abounded in this neighborhood. 

 He could not rest quiet, and repeated a number of 

 stories of this person or that having been bitten by 

 snakes in the night. I let him talk on, while I made 

 preparations to go to sleep. 



Half asleep, I still heard the snake stories, till, over- 

 powered by fatigue, Morpheus took me softly in his 

 anus ; but there were snakes hanging about me, and 

 some of them grew to an immense size, till at last it 

 seemed as if a very wicked-looking one came straight 

 towards me, crawled under my left knee, and there 

 coiled himself down — yet he kept fidgeting as if he 

 could not make himself quite comfortable. I awoke, 

 and lay for a moment quite still ; Jim was yet telling 

 his snake stories to Uhl, who was listening attentively, 



