American Big Game in its Haunts 



her just at dark. We were all fagged out and 

 shaking with cold by the time we reached Blake's 

 old camp. 



The next morning broke dismally with the 

 floodgates of the heavens open and the rain com- 

 ing down in torrents. I lay among my rugs and 

 smoked one pipe after another in order to keep 

 down my appetite, for there was little chance of 

 making a fire to cook with. In fact, most of the 

 day was passed in this way, for all the wood had 

 become thoroughly water-soaked. 



Late in the afternoon we succeeded in getting 

 a fire started and had a square meal. While 

 we were crouched around the blaze the natives saw 

 sheep on the hills just above us, but it was raining 

 so hard that it was impossible to tell if they were 

 rams. In fact, when sheeps* coats are saturated 

 with water they do not show up plainly when seen 

 at any distance, and might easily be mistaken for 

 wet rocks. 



The next day opened just as dismally, with the 

 storm raging harder than ever, but by eleven 

 o'clock it began to let up, and we soon had our 

 things drying in the wind, for the clouds looked 

 threatening, and we feared the rain would begin 

 again at any time. 



As we were short of provisions and depended. 



200 



