378 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
deliberately, and ate as much as I cared at once, raw! and 
then, with the first prayer of Faith, of thanksgiving, and of 
praise that ever breathed upon my lips, sunk back, and was 
sound asleep in a moment. 
I slept for twenty-four hours, as near as I can judge. 
On waking, I finished the remainder of the squirrel, and 
felt quite able to walk again; though, on attempting to rise, 
I staggered sorely for awhile. But the conviction that I 
should meet with no further difficulty, had become a matter 
of such positive certainty, that J never dreamed of a doubt. 
“The evidence of ‘things unseen” had reached me through 
the material at last. Faith looked: farther and higher than 
the senses. I knew that I knew! The Penates of the soul, 
the image of the desolation and the humble instrument, had 
assumed their holy niches! I was happy, full of love, and 
humble. Spring-time visions came again. The brazen, 
glowing sky, and the red, cloudy earth, had passed from 
before my eyes, and the blue heavens and a natural sun 
were over me. The ice-ring melted from around my heart, 
sense and thought and brain were clear again! The madness 
had passed away. I clapped my hands and laughed aloud 
for joy ! 
In about two hours I saw two men on horseback, herding 
a drove of cattle. Iwas not surprised. I expected something 
of the sort. The men rode towards me. I saw they were 
Mexicans. I knew there was nothing to expect from these 
traitorous wretches, by fair means, so I concealed my gun 
by running it up my hunting-shirt, and waited for them to 
come within range. They approached very cautiously, and 
when they were within thirty paces of me, I drew my gun 
suddenly forth and brought it to bear upon them. They 
were desperately frightened, and would have wheeled and 
galloped off, but something in my look showed that I was 
not joking. I ordered them up to me, dismounted the one 
on the best horse, took his seat, waved my hand in adieu to 
