extreme effort to preserve it.
Despair is a strong feeling, but there are those whose spirit it cannot
prostrate. In later life mine own would not have given way to such
circumstances as surrounded me at that time; but I was then young, and
little experienced in peril.

The paralysis of my thoughts did not continue long. My senses returned
again; and I resolved to make a new effort for the salvation of my life.

I had conceived no plan, further than to endeavour once more to escape
out of the labyrinth of woods and morass in which I had become
entangled, and make as before for the village. I thought I knew the
direction in which it lay, by observing the side at which I had first
entered the glade. But, after all, there was no certainty in this. It
was mere conjecture. I had entered the glade with negligent steps. I
had strayed all around it before lying down to sleep. Perhaps I had
gone around its sides before entering it--for I had been wandering all
the morning.

While these reflections were passing rapidly through my mind, and
despair once more taking possession of my spirits, I all at once
remembered having heard that tobacco is a powerful antidote to
snake-poison. Strange the idea had not occurred to me before. But,
indeed, there was nothing wonderful that it did not, as up to that
moment I had only thought of making my way to Bringiers. With no
reliance upon my own knowledge, I had thought only of a doctor. It was
only when I became apprehensive of not being able to get to _him_, that
I began to think of what resources lay within my reach. I now
remembered the tobacco.

Quick as the thought my cigar-case was in my fingers. To my joy one
cigar still remained, and drawing it out I proceeded to macerate the
tobacco by chewing. This I had heard was the mode of applying it to the
snakebite.

Dry as was my mouth at first, the bitter weed soon supplied me with
saliva, and in a few moments I had reduced the leaves to a pulp, though
nauseated--almost poisoned by the powerful _nicotine_.

I laid the moistened mass upon my wrist, and at the same time rubbed it
forcibly into the wound. I now perceived that my arm was sensibly
swollen--even up to the elbow--and a singular pain began to be felt
throughout its whole length! O God! the poison was spreading, surely
and rapidly spreading! I fancied I could feel it like liquid fire
crawling and filtering through my veins!

Though I had made application of