t a shot from his rifle
brought down my chief foe, who fell close to me. Still he was not dead,
and with the fury of despair, flapping his way up to me, he began to
make such determined attacks on my head, that I feared he would have
bitten off my ear before I was able to disengage my right hand, with
which I then gave him a blow on his head, which made him quiet for ever.
Still the rest of the amiable family kept circling above me, giving me
most disagreeable prongs, till another shot from Short's rifle killed
two more, and the rest, discovering that I had an ally in the field,
took to flight. He then came up, and having destroyed the nest, helped
me down the cliff, for I really could scarcely have descended by myself,
so completely shaken were my nerves with the novel contest in which I
had engaged. I begged Sam not to mention in camp what had occurred, but
he kept my counsel very badly, for he could not resist asking when I
would like to go birds'-nesting again, and made so many other allusions
that I thought it was best to tell the story, and got heartily laughed
at for my pains. I, however, have always felt that it was no laughing
matter, and that I was never in greater peril than on that occasion.

We next day proceeded on our journey, and for ten days or so made but
slow progress, as we had numerous rivers to pass, and the change of
climate from the cold of the mountains to the heat of the plains was
very trying to man and beast. We now took to encamping during the
middle of the day, and travelling very early and late. In that way our
animals got two unbroken rests instead of one, which was a great
advantage.

One day, after a long morning's journey, we had camped near a stream
bordered by rich pastures of red and white clover. As I have hinted,
although I was on the most friendly terms with all my companions, I now
and then had a longing to be by myself, to commune with my own thoughts,
and to call to mind friends whose ideas and manners were so different
from those of my present associates. As I frequently did, therefore, I
left the camp, and wandered on up the stream till I came to a little
grove of sumach and cherry trees, under whose shade I sat down to enjoy
the cool air, and to watch the clear water which flowed bubbling by.
The sweet-scented flowers of spring were bursting out from many a bush,
and encumbering the ground around me. Their balmy odours filled my
nostrils, the fresh air played roun