RETURN TO THE HAUNTS OF MEN. 191 



expended, sprinkled it with powder, and ate it, cold and 

 dry as it was. 



The almost impenetrable swamps and the wretched 

 weather, together with my long solitude, had con- 

 siderably cooled my shooting propensities, and I re- 

 solved to seek human society. To get clear of the 

 swamps as soon as possible, I directed my steps to the 

 north-east, towards the St. Francis river, in hopes of 

 finding letters from Cincinnati, or perhaps from home, 

 at Strong's post-office, as I had written for them to be 

 forwarded there. 



A few dry strips of land ran across the country from 

 north to south, the intermediate spaces being about a 

 foot or a foot and a half under water, with here and 

 there channels three or four feet deep. Worn out 

 and wretched as I felt from the frequent attacks of 

 ague, I had twice to swim through the icy water, but 

 the word " must " carried me through. In fact, I had 

 the choice of that or perishing in the swamp. The 

 first alternative was merely disagreeable, while the 

 latter was highly objectionable ; so I chose the former. 



I passed the night by a warm fire, at which I 

 roasted a turkey I had shot. It was at any rate an im- 

 provement on its predecessor, and my zither responded 

 through the forest to the voices of the owls and wolves. 



Next morning I resumed my north-east direction 

 with fresh strength, and was not a little surprised 

 about nine o'clock by a smell of smoke. Soon after- 

 wards I came on the fresh remains of a fire. The im- 

 pressions on the leaves showed clearly enough that 

 only one person had lain there, and that he had four 

 dogs with him. About twenty paces from the fire 



