thing
to-morrow, and see nothing, I must go round, so as not to be seen, and
learn something about her the very next morning."

Hearing nothing and seeing no more, he spent an uncomfortable Christmas
Day, disappointing his host and kind Madame Fropot, who had done all
they knew to enliven him with a genuine English plum-pudding. And the
next day, with a light foot but rather heavy heart, he made the long
round by the bridge up-stream, and examined the creek which the English
boat had entered. He approached the place very cautiously, knowing that
if his suspicions were correct, they might be confirmed too decisively,
and his countrymen, if they had fire-arms, would give him a warm
reception. However, there was no living creature to be seen, except
a poor terrified ox, who had escaped from the slaughter-houses of the
distant camp, and hoped for a little rest in this dark thicket. He was
worn out with his long flight and sadly wounded, for many men had shot
at him, when he desired to save his life; and although his mouth was
little more than the length of his tail from water, there he lay gasping
with his lips stretched out, and his dry tongue quivering between his
yellow teeth, and the only moisture he could get was running out instead
of into his mouth.

Scudamore, seeing that the coast was clear, and no enemy in chase of
this poor creature, immediately filled his hat with fresh water--for the
tide was out now, and the residue was sweet--and speaking very gently in
the English language, for he saw that he must have been hard-shouted
at in French, was allowed without any more disturbance of the system to
supply a little glad refreshment. The sorely afflicted animal licked his
lips, and looked up for another hatful.

Captain Scuddy deserved a new hat for this--though very few Englishmen
would not have done the like--and in the end he got it, though he must
have caught a bad cold if he had gone without a hat till then.

Pursuing his search, with grateful eyes pursuing him, he soon discovered
where the boat had grounded, by the impress of her keel and forefoot on
the stiff retentive mud. He could even see where a hawser had been made
fast to a staunch old trunk, and where the soil had been prodded with
a pole in pushing her off at the turn of tide. Also deep tracks of some
very large hound, or wolf, or unknown quadruped, in various places,
scarred the bank. And these marks were so fresh and bright that they
must have bee