ther part of the
boundless garden. There were bees, too; and bee-birds humming from
flower to flower, and robbing their rich nectaries. Now and then
partridges and ruffed grouse whirred up before the horses; and Francois
succeeded in shooting a brace of the latter, and hanging them behind his
saddle.

Through these great flower-beds our travellers rode on, crushing many a
beautiful corolla under their horses' hoofs. Sometimes the flowers grew
upon tall stalks that stood thickly together, and reached up to the
shoulders of the horses, completely hiding them from the view of one at
a distance. Sometimes the travellers passed through beds of helianthi
alone--whose large heads, brushing against their thighs, covered them
with yellow pollen-dust.

It was, altogether, a rare and beautiful landscape; and the young
hunters would have enjoyed it much, had they not been suffering from
weariness and want of sleep. The fragrance of the flowers seemed at
first to refresh them; but after a while they became sensible of a
narcotic influence which it exercised over them, as they felt more
sleepy than ever. They would have encamped among them, but there was no
water; and without water they could not remain. There was no grass,
either, for their animals; as, strange to say, upon these
flower-prairies grass is seldom met with. The flower-stalks usurp the
soil, and no turf is ever found about their roots. The travellers,
therefore, were compelled to ride on, until they should reach some spot
having grass and water--two of the necessary requisites of a
"night-camp."

After proceeding about ten miles the flowers began to appear more thinly
scattered over the surface, and at length declined into the _grass_
prairie. Two or three miles farther brought our adventurers to a small
"spring branch" that ran through the open plain, with no timber upon its
banks, except a few willows. Here they were glad to halt for the night,
and they dismounted, and staked their animals upon the tempting sward.

All three were weary, and could have slept; but they were hungry as
well, and must first eat--so they set about preparing supper. The
willows were green, and would not burn very well; but by dint of
perseverance they managed to make a fire. Francois' grouse were plunged
into the kettle. These, seasoned with wild onions, nasturtium, and
prairie-turnips--which Lucien had gathered along the route,--made a dish
that was far from unpalatable.