light,
then began to utter cries which sounded wonderfully like the braying of
an ass; upon which Uncle Jeff lifted his unerring rifle and brought one
of them down, when the rest, taking fright, scampered off.

He and the two soldiers immediately began cutting up the animal.

"I wish we could take the hide with us, for it makes the best leather
anywhere to be found," Uncle Jeff observed; "but we must not add to our
loads."

As the day was now drawing to a close, we had not far to carry the meat
we had just obtained; and coming to a spot near one of the numerous
streams which fed the "big cataract," we encamped. As before, the small
bell-tent, which Pat Sperry had carried, was erected for Clarice and
Rachel; while we made our beds of fir-tops, round our camp-fire, with
such shelter as our blankets and a few boughs afforded. We were too
well accustomed to this sort of life, however, to consider it any
hardship.

We had no longer any fear of being attacked by Indians, but it was still
necessary to keep a watch by night, for it was very possible that a
grizzly might take it into his head to pay us a visit, or a pack of
wolves find us out; or a prowling panther might pounce down upon us,
should the fire go out, and no one be on the alert to drive him off.

CHAPTER NINE.

WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY OVER THE MOUNTAINS, AND ENCAMP IN A FERTILE
VALLEY--HUNT ELK IN COMPANY WITH A PANTHER--I SPOIL THE SPORT OF THE
LATTER--UNCLE JEFF WOUNDS AN ELK, WHICH IS LOST DOWN A PRECIPICE--MORE
FORTUNATE AFTERWARDS--UNCLE JEFF RESOLVES TO REMAIN WITH CLARICE,
RACHEL, AND PAT, WHILE MANLEY, THE SERGEANT, AND I PUSH ON--DIFFICULTIES
IN CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS--MANLEY IN FEARFUL DANGER--HE ESCAPES--DESCEND
TOWARDS A BROAD VALLEY--ITS WONDERFUL APPEARANCE--WE ENCAMP--THE
SERGEANT NEARLY SCALDS HIS FINGERS IN A TEMPTING SPRING--CURIOUS
PHENOMENON--DREADFUL NOISES OF WILD BEASTS DISTURB OUR SLUMBERS.

The next day, at an early hour, we were again on the move, Clarice and
Rachel trudging on bravely with the help of long thin poles, the points
hardened in the fire. Onwards and upwards we went, sometimes passing
through dense forests, and climbing over the trunks of fallen trees; at
others making our way through glades, where, sheltered from the sun, the
walking was comparatively easy. On emerging into the more open ground,
we searched for some canon or cleft in the mountains through which we
might find a passage. As for going over the s