UNEXPECTEDLY REACH THE BANK, AND LAND IN SAFETY--MY CLOTHES ARE IN
TATTERS--AFTER MAKING A LONG JOURNEY FIND THAT I HAVE RETURNED TO THE
VERY SPOT I LEFT--ENCOUNTER A HUNGRY WOLF--SUFFER FROM WANT OF WATER--
MEET A LYNX, BUT FIND NO LIQUID--GO TO BED AMONG SOME NESTS OF
RATTLESNAKES--SLAUGHTER A HOST OF SNAKES AND SIP THE DEW OF THE
MORNING--MORE RATTLESNAKES--MY ONWARD JOURNEY CONTINUED--MY CRY IS STILL
FOR WATER--OBTAIN A LARGER SHARE THAN I REQUIRE--I SWIM DOWN THE STREAM,
AND ON LANDING AM RECEIVED BY A HUGE GRIZZLY.
There was only one way I conceived by which, humanly speaking, I could
possibly have been saved. I was whirled furiously down the current. I
saw, a short distance before me, the commencement of the rapid which led
to the cataract, when I felt the raft turn slightly round, and half
stop, as it were, and by the appearance of the water I was convinced
that it had got into an eddy. I darted down my pole. It speedily
struck the bottom. I shoved on with all my might. New energy returned
to me. I sprang to my feet. The raft no longer advanced towards the
rapid, but I found that I could urge it surely and steadily towards the
shore. A shout of joy, and an exclamation of thankfulness escaped my
lips as it reached the bank, and, by the aid of my pole, I leaped on to
the dry land a dozen feet at least from the edge. I was preserved from
immediate death. But where had I drifted to? Where were my friends?
What prospect had I of obtaining food to sustain life till I could find
them? All these were questions which I asked myself, but to which I
could give no satisfactory answer. Scarcely had I reached the shore
than my raft, which I had not secured to it, began to drift away.
Onward it went down the stream. I could not recover it; so a very
natural impulse made me follow its course along the banks. I ran on for
two or three hundred yards, when I arrived at the edge of a roaring
cataract, some forty feet deep at least. First, there was a foaming
rapid, with here and there black rocks appearing amid the sea of froth,
and then came a dark treacherous mass of water, which curled over and
fell downwards in a broad curtain into a deep pool, out of which there
arose a cloud of dense spray with a deafening roar; and then the river
went gliding away, dark and smooth, in innumerable eddies, showing the
rapidity of the current, till it was concealed by thick woods and rocks.
I now felt more than ever how deeply grateful I ought to be for the way
I had been preserved, for not an instant longer could I have existed had
I once reached the edge of the cataract.
I had, however, no time to lose, so, shouldering my rifle and pole, I
struck off at a right angle from the course of the river, hoping thus to
across the track of my late companions. I had, it must be remembered,
but two charges of powder remaining, and as at that season of the year
there were no fruits ripe, my existence depended on my making an
economical use of them.
I had another source of anxiety. I had left the camp in a pair of thin
old shoes, and they were now so worn-out and coming so completely to
pieces, that they no longer afforded any protection to my feet, which
were already cruelly cut. My only resource, therefore, was to tear off
the sleeves of my jacket, with which I bound them up. This afforded me
some relief; but the ground near the river was in many places rocky, so
that these bandages quickly again wore out. The sky, too, became
cloudy, and the wind changed constantly, so that when I got into a
hollow where I could not see any distant object by which to guide my
course, I was often uncertain in which direction I was going. I found
also, after I left the river, a great scarcity of water; the heat had
dried-up all the water-holes and rivulets, and I thus began to suffer
much from thirst. The pangs increased as I walked on. I might have
killed a bird, or some animal, and quenched my thirst with their blood;
but as I might require their flesh for food, I did not wish to expend a
charge of powder till my present stock of meat was expended. It was
getting dark. I was more thirsty than hungry; so on I went in the hopes
of reaching a spring before it was quite dark. I looked about me.
After a time, I could not help fancying that the features of the country
were very similar to those through which I had passed some hours before,
and at length the disagreeable fact forced itself on me that I had
returned back on my own track, and that all my late exertions had been
completely thrown away. For an instant I felt very much inclined to
despair of reaching my friends, but I quickly recovered myself, and the
clouds clearing away in the west, the glow of the setting sun showed me
the right direction to take. I therefore determined to push on as long
as the least glimmer of light enabled me to find my way.
I had not gone far, however, when I heard a rustling noise in a copse
close to which I was passing, and presently out of it stalked a huge
gaunt wolf, and planted himself before me in a threatening attitude,
some twenty paces in advance, as if he had resolved to dispute my onward
progress. My first impulse was naturally to fire, but I recollected
that if I did, I might not possibly kill him, as I had only small shot,
and that though I did kill him, his flesh would be far from pleasant
food. I knew that if I showed the slightest symptoms of fear he might
fly at me, so I faced him boldly, as I had faced many of his brethren
before, and tried to look somewhat braver than I felt. I waved my long
pole towards him, and advanced a pace or two, on which he retreated,
still keeping his piercing eye fixed savagely on me. Again I advanced,
and began shouting as loud as I could, hoping thus to frighten him away,
but instead of this he set up the most terrific howls, which I could not
help interpreting as invitations to his comrades to assemble from far
and near, in order to make a meal on my carcase. The more he howled the
louder I shouted, and the odd idea occurring to me that if I shouted out
real names the wolf would be more alarmed, I called by name on all the
Raggets, and Short, and Noggin to come to my assistance, and looked
round, pretending that I expected them to appear. The wolf, I thought,
winked his wicked eye, as much as to say, "That's all gammon; don't
suppose you can do an old soldier like me;" but I cannot say positively,
as it was growing dark. Still he would not move, and I had no wish to
get nearer his fangs. I continued shouting, and he went on howling, and
a sweet concert we must have made, for I had bawled till I was hoarse.
I have an idea that my shouts kept his friends away. Perhaps it
prevented them from hearing what he was saying.
At length, much to my relief, I saw him turn his head, first on one side
and then on the other, and then about he went, as if he had given up all
hopes of his expected supper, and away he skulked into the wood. On
seeing this my courage rose to the highest pitch, and after him I went,
shaking my pole and shouting and shrieking and hallooing at the very top
of my voice to expedite his movements; and it is my belief that he was
so frightened that he did not stop again to look round till he had got
many a mile from where he met me; though I own that, when we first set
eyes on each other, I was much the more frightened of the two.
The shades of evening were now approaching, and I was anxious to find a
place in which I could spend the night in tolerable safety. Scarcely,
however, had the wolf disappeared, than an old lynx, followed by a young
one, trotted up close to me. I got my rifle ready, but rather than fire
I began shouting and shrieking as before, and they continued their
course without molesting me. My great wish was now to find water. A
draught of the pure liquid would have appeared like the richest nectar.
Hurrying on, I saw a green spot with some rushes growing near.
"There must be water," I exclaimed, rushing on with eager haste, like
the pilgrim in the desert, towards the longed-for oasis, even fancying
that I saw the shining surface through the trees. I reached the spot; I
looked about; there were the rushes sure enough, and there had been the
water, but it was dried-up. Oh, how thirsty I felt! I thought I might
find some moisture at the roots of the rushes. I pulled them up and
sucked eagerly at them, but they afforded no moisture to my parched
lips. I had no resource, therefore, but to go liquidless to bed. It
was rapidly getting dark, so I had no time to lose. I saw a large stone
at a little distance, and thinking that it would afford me some
protection if I slept beside it, I began to pull up some rushes with
which to form my bed. Having collected as many as I could carry, I took
them to the spot and threw them on the ground. I went back for more,
and having scattered them about and piled up a few for a pillow, was
about to throw myself on this quickly-formed couch when I saw, just
under the stone, what I at first took for a stick, but which then
beginning to move, exhibited itself to me as a monstrous rattlesnake,
with its body coiled up and its head erect, its fierce eyes glittering,
and its forked tongue moving rapidly to and fro as if eager to bite me.
I had disturbed it from its slumbers, and it was naturally excessively
angry. I did not stop to let it bite me, but sprang back several feet
before I recovered my usual coolness. I felt sadly conscious that I was
not like myself, and that my nervous system was very much upset.
Regaining my self-possession pretty quickly, however, I once more
advanced, and settled the creature with a blow of my stick.
The strokes I gave the ground soon roused up several other rattlesnakes,
and I found that a whole brood were collected under the stone. As they
are slow-moving creatures, I was able to kill every one of them before
they could escape. They would have been somewhat unpleasant companions
to me during my nocturnal slumbers. Scarcely had I despatched my
rattle-tailed enemies than, turning over with my foot some smaller
stones near the big one, out wriggled a number of other snakes, black,
brown, and yellow, twisting and turning amid the grass, many making
directly towards me. To be surrounded, even in daylight, by such
creatures would have been especially unpleasant, but in the dusk, when I
could scarcely see them, the sensations I experienced were scarcely
bearable. I felt inclined to shriek out at the top of my voice, but I
restrained myself, and began slashing away right and left with my stick.
Some I killed, but the others being more nimble than the rattlesnakes,
escaped. Still I could not venture to proceed in the dark, nor could I
stay on my legs all night; but I had no fancy to sleep near where I had
killed the snakes. I looked about, therefore, for another suitable
spot, and having selected it, I lashed about in every direction with my
stick, so that any lurking serpent must of necessity be killed or put to
flight. Then I collected more rushes, and taking a suck at a piece of
dry duck for my supper, threw myself at my length on them and tried to
go to sleep. It was no easy matter to do this, as I could not help
remembering that I was surrounded by venomous creatures and wild beasts
of all sorts, who might find me out during my slumbers and rouse me up
in a very unpleasant way.
At last, however, I closed my eyes, and so tightly did they remain
sealed that the sun had arisen before I awoke. I started up and looked
around me. Neither venomous serpents nor wild beasts were near, but the
bodies of the snakes I had killed lying about showed me the reality of
what had occurred. I started to my feet, and a few shakes completed my
toilet. I had hoped to awake before daylight, that I might have time to
collect the dew from the branches of the trees and from the long grass,
that I might at least moisten my lips. I felt as if all the liquid
would be dried-up before it got down my throat. But, alas! when I
looked round, so hot was the sun, and so dry the atmosphere, that
scarcely a drop could I find, even in the shade, sufficient to wet my
tongue. I however plucked some cool grass and chewed it, and then
continued on my journey. I was now able to proceed with more certainty
than on the previous day.
As I walked on, my glance was turned on every side for the sort of
vegetation which might indicate the vicinity of water. Every height I
came near I ascended, that I might enjoy a wider range of vision. I was
all this time suffering dreadfully from my feet. Sometimes I passed
over a wide extent of ground covered with small sharp stones, which
speedily wore out all the bandages which I had fastened round my feet.
That was bad enough; but soon afterwards I came to a tract overgrown
with stunted prickly pears, or _cacti_ as they are called. It was very
much as if the ground were planted thickly with short swords, daggers,
dirks, and penknives. Walk as carefully as I could, my feet and legs
were constantly striking against them, and from my shins to the soles of
my feet I was covered with wounds and blood. My jacket was soon used
up, and I then had to begin on the lower part of the legs of my
trousers, off which I tore shreds as I required them. At last I sat
down on a stone to apply fresh bandages to my feet, and what with the
heat, and thirst, and hunger, and weakness, and sickness, and pain, and
anxiety, I felt more inclined to cry than I had ever in my life before;
but I did not cry. I was too much dried-up for that, I suppose. My
next impulse was to throw myself down on the ground and give up the
struggle.
However, I did not remain long in that mood. It is the worst mood to
encourage. I had always belonged to the "try" school. "No, I will not
give in," I exclaimed suddenly; "I will trust to Providence to carry me
out of my difficulties." Still I was so weak and I felt so helpless
that I sat and sat on till I was about to fall into a sort of lethargy,
from which I might have had no power to arouse myself. Suddenly,
however, my ears caught the well-known and justly-dreaded sound of the
rattlesnake's rattle. I sprang up all alive in a moment, and saw the
creature half a dozen paces from me, approaching through the grass. A
blow with my long stick, however, soon stopped his rattle, and
remembering how much time I had lost, I hurried on. I bethought me as I
did so, that I had offered but an ungrateful return to the poor snake
for the service he had rendered me, for had it not been for him I might
never have stirred from the stone on which I was sitting till I had
fallen off into the arms of death.
I now walked on more rapidly than before, and in about an hour saw
before me a more thickly-wooded country than I had yet passed. I
pressed forward towards it. I should find shade, and perhaps--what I so
earnestly wished for--water. The wood was extensive, and looked gloomy
enough when I first entered it, though I felt the shade most grateful
after the glare of the open prairies. The sun, also, found its way
sufficiently through the foliage, only now bursting forth, to enable me
to steer my course as before. I have described the silence of the snow
mountains. I might now speak of the language of the woods. I sat down
to adjust my feet coverings, and when my feet ceased to tread on the
grass and dead leaves, I became conscious that I was surrounded by a low
rustling noise. At first I thought that the sound was caused by the
wind among the dry leaves, but I was soon convinced that it was made by
the young buds breaking forth from the cases which had shielded them
during the cold of early spring--that I literally heard the trees
growing!
I did not rest long, for I was afraid of falling into my former state.
On I limped--unable to help uttering every now and then complaining
"Oh!" as my foot trod on a thorn or knocked against a stone. I grew
faint and more faint--"Water! water! water!" I ejaculated. How
dreadful is thirst! "I cannot stand it longer," I cried out; but I felt
it would be suicide to stop as long as I could move, and the next
instant a low, murmuring, rushing sound reached my ears. I thought it
was fancy, but still I dragged on as fast as I could my weary steps.
The noise increased--it was that of a waterfall--I was certain of it. I
tried to hurry on my feet, and scarcely felt the pricks and cuts they
were receiving. I caught sight of the glittering spray through an
opening in the woods. I fancied that I felt the coolness of the air
passing over it. On I went. There was the water rushing, gurgling,
foaming away; but as I sprang on, forgetting my weakness, I found myself
on the top of a rock, over which I very nearly toppled into the
sought-for stream, twenty feet or more below me.
I looked about for a path to lead me down to it. I saw, a little way
higher up the stream, a part of the bank less steep than the rest. I
ran towards it. I slid down; but what was my dismay to find that I
could not stop myself, and into the water I plunged, with my rifle and
powder-flask at my back! I had now more of the element I had been so
eagerly desiring than was pleasant. My feet, however, touched the
bottom, and stooping down, I let the water run into my mouth and wash my
dried-up face. Oh, how delicious it was! It revived me and restored my
strength; and then I began to consider how I was again to get out of the
stream. The current was so strong that I dare not let go the bank, lest
I should be carried off my feet. I could not hope to climb up that down
which I had come, and those on each side were still steeper. The matter
was soon settled for me, for suddenly I felt myself taken off my feet,
and down the stream I drifted. I kept as close to the bank as I could,
grasping at the rocks as I passed, and endeavouring to climb up by them
out of the water. My anxiety was to ascertain whether or not I was
above the waterfall. If above it, I might be carried down, and fall
into the very danger I had before escaped. I tried to make out by the
sound, but could not tell, nor could I see the spray which I had before
observed. Still I hoped that I was below it. On I went, drifting down
the stream just as I have seen a dog carried along a river when he is
trying to climb up on a steep bank. Some bushes appeared. I caught at
them--several broke in my grasp. I caught eagerly at others. My
strength was failing me. At length I seized one which held. Close to
it I saw that there was a resting-place for my feet. I was about to
draw myself out of the water when, on looking up, what should I see on
the top of the bank but a huge bear gazing intently down on me, and
licking his jaws as if in contemplation of a pleasant repast.