TO DELAWARE CREEK. 
Ill 
their comfort. The dreaded Norther I had so much 
feared when near the Pecos, had now come upon us 
with all its fury and in its very worst shape, accom- 
panied with snow. But bad as our condition was, it 
might have been worse. We had escaped the inhospi- 
table region of the Pecos, where the water was unfit to 
drink, scarcely any grazing was to be had for our 
animals, and no wood wherewith to cook our food. 
Here the grass was excellent and abundant, the water 
was pure, and the calamities of others furnished us with 
broken wagons and other articles for fire-wood. But 
our poor animals had no shelter from the pitiless storm, 
there being not a tree to break the force of the keen 
blast which seemed to pierce them to the quick. A few 
isolated bushes grew near the camp, but nothing that 
afforded a covering. During the day, many wandered 
ofi*, probably to seek a shelter ; and at one time, ten 
men were gone in pursuit of them. Some of the horses 
had strayed seven miles before they were taken. 
The only means to add to our comfort were to bank 
the earth around the tents to keep out the snow and 
the cold blasts ; to bring our overcoats and India-rub- 
ber garments into requisition ; and to keep up as large 
fires as the broken wagons and boxes would admit of. 
Finding it very hard to keep warm even by the 
fire, with the cold wind and snow beating on my back, 
I laid aside my heavy blanket, put on my India-rubber 
cloak and long boots, and took my double-barrelled gun 
to see what virtue there was in a little sport by way of 
exercise. The result proved to be better than remain- 
ing still, roasting and freezing alternately by the fire. 
The excitement and exercise restored the circulation, 
