y half mile or so. I had
the greatest difficulty in preventing him from accompanying me on foot
for some little distance, but I got rid of him in the end; he came with
me beyond the place where I had hidden my knapsack, but when he had left
me long enough, I rode back and got it.

I see I am dwelling too long upon my own small adventures. Suffice it
that, accompanied by my dog, I followed the north bank of the river till
I found I must cross one stream before I could get any farther. This
place would not do, and I had to ride half a mile back before I found one
that seemed as if it might be safe. I fancy my father must have done
just the same thing, for Doctor seemed to know the ground, and took to
the water the moment I brought him to it. It never reached his belly,
but I confess I did not like it. By and by I had to recross, and so on,
off and on, till at noon I camped for dinner. Here the dog found me a
nest of young ducks, nearly fledged, from which the parent birds tried
with great success to decoy me. I fully thought I was going to catch
them, but the dog knew better and made straight for the nest, from which
he returned immediately with a fine young duck in his mouth, which he
laid at my feet, wagging his tail and barking. I took another from the
nest and left two for the old birds.

The afternoon was much as the morning and towards seven I reached a place
which suggested itself as a good camping ground. I had hardly fixed on
it and halted, before I saw a few pieces of charred wood, and felt sure
that my father must have camped at this very place before me. I hobbled
Doctor, unloaded, plucked and singed a duck, and gave the dog some of the
meat with which Harris had furnished me; I made tea, laid my duck on the
embers till it was cooked, smoked, gave myself a nightcap of brandy and
water, and by and by rolled myself round in my blanket, with the dog
curled up beside me. I will not dwell upon the strangeness of my
feelings--nor the extreme beauty of the night. But for the dog, and
Doctor, I should have been frightened, but I knew that there were no
savage creatures or venomous snakes in the country, and both the dog and
Doctor were such good companionable creatures, that I did not feel so
much oppressed by the solitude as I had feared I should be. But the
night was cold, and my blanket was not enough to keep me comfortably
warm.

The following day was delightfully warm as soon as the sun got to the