CANOE VOYAGE DOWN THE ARKANSAS. o71 



for two days on whortleberries, a fruit which by no 

 means suited my stomach. It happened one morning 

 when I came again on the banks of the Fourche le Fave, 

 I saw a canoe jammed amongst some drift-wood, which 

 had stuck fast in the river. This suited my purpose 

 exactly ; so, without further consideration, I SAvam off 

 and secured it, took it up to my camp, threw in all my 

 havings and gatherings, and gained the river Arkansas 

 the same afternoon. 



Gliding smoothly along near the bank, I observed 

 numerous signs of deer in several places. I landed at 

 one of them, where the ground was all trodden down 

 by their feet, and where there was only one narrow 

 rocky path, by which they could descend to drink the 

 brackish water, that of the Arkansas containing a con- 

 siderable portion of salt. My plan was soon formed. 

 I was not only excessively hungry myself, but I had 

 some friends in Little Rock, to whom a nice piece of 

 venison would be a treat ; so, taking my tomahawk, I 

 soon erected a small scaffolding over the canoe, which 

 Avas all the more easily accomplished as it had been 

 made to serve this purpose before, holes having been 

 bored below the gunwales to receive the poles. Cover- 

 ing it with twigs and some inches of earth, I collected 

 kindlers from the neighboring hills, and patiently 

 awaited the approaching night. As soon as it was dark 

 I lighted my fire, then leant back, giving the reins to my 

 fancy and gazing on the beautiful starry sky. After a 

 time, raising myself silently and looking towards the 

 place where I expected the deer, I saw a glowing eye 

 just above the Avater, and another reflected from its sur- 

 face ; it Avas a deer, which had descended without the 



