d my brow, and the murmur of the
stream sounded in my ears, till my pleased senses became completely
overcome by the surrounding soporific influences, and wandered far away
amid the regions of dreamland: in other words, I went fast asleep. At
last I awoke, and rubbed and rubbed my eyes; I had good reason for
rubbing them, for the beautiful landscape on which they had closed was
no longer before them. There was the murmur of the stream, and the
scent of the flowers, but obscurity was around me, and the stars were
glittering brightly overhead. How far in the night it was I could not
guess. How to follow my companions too, was a question, as it was so
dark that I could not have found my way to the camp, even if they had
been there. The only cause I could then assign for my having slept so
long, was that I must have been surrounded by some herbs of soporific
power, though, perhaps, the perfect tranquillity of the spot, the heat
of the weather, and the exertion I had of late gone through were
sufficient reasons for the unusual length of my nap. Having no hopes of
overtaking my friends that night, I judged that the best thing I could
do was to stay where I was and go to sleep again. This was, however,
not very easy to do. I was lightly clad, and the night damp had made me
feel very chilly. It was not, therefore, till morning that sleep again
overpowered me. It would have been better for me had I kept awake.
Suddenly I opened my eyes with a start. The sun had already risen, and
was glancing through the woods on my head. I heard a noise--a rustling
in the grass. I turned my head, and there, to my horror, I beheld a
huge rattlesnake about to spring on me.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

A FIGHT WITH A RATTLESNAKE, AND A DESCRIPTION OF MY ENEMY--FIND THE CAMP
DESERTED--FEEL VERY HUNGRY--KILL A GOOSE--SEE SOME HORSEMEN IN THE
DISTANCE--FIND A RIVER BETWEEN ME AND THEM--BUILD A RAFT, AND TAKE A
LONGER VOYAGE THAN I INTEND--SHOOT A FALL, AND HAVE THE PLEASANT
PROSPECT OF BEING CARRIED DOWN A CATARACT.

I sprang up as if I had been galvanised, and leaped a dozen feet or more
away from the fangs of the rattlesnake. I had left my pole at the camp,
and I had placed my rifle by my side when I went to sleep. There it lay
close to the rattlesnake. My axe was in my belt, but it is not a good
weapon for the attack of either birds or snakes. My enemy was advancing
towards me, his tail rattling ominously. My foot, as I leaped back,