BIVOUACKING. 



211 



out the proportions of the old mansion. The 

 house itself was entirely gone except the 

 outer walls touching the corridors, which 

 were from four to six feet high : the partition 

 walls had also crumbled away, and large trees, 

 of naturally very slow growth, were proudly 

 erect in the very rooms where once Dons and 

 Donnas had lived, and perhaps commanded. 

 The corridor was nearly entire, having been 

 built on two open rows of stone pillars, with 

 a slab stone slanting roof, which appeared to 

 defy time. 



Having been there before, and knowing 

 the place pretty well, we gained the spot in 

 such utter darkness that we had nothing to 

 do but tie up our horses close to us, unsaddle 

 them, and give them a feed of Indian corn 

 (that the spare horse always carried), and 

 then tried to make ourselves comfortable for 

 the night. Having struck a light and kindled 

 a fire from a lot of dry wood, that was lying 

 about, we lighted our pine splints and went 

 to seek for more dead wood, at the same 

 time putting the little copper jug, that every 

 woodsman carries, on the fire, to make a little 

 hot mixture, to prevent the wind from whist- 

 ling right through us. When we returned 

 w T ith the wood a strange sort of lamentation 



