ut of camp. I'll take my squaw's old
yellow horse; you can't whip her more than four miles an hour, but she
is as good for the mountains as a mule."

I mounted the black mule which Raymond usually rode. She was a very fine
and powerful animal, gentle and manageable enough by nature; but of
late her temper had been soured by misfortune. About a week before I
had chanced to offend some one of the Indians, who out of revenge went
secretly into the meadow and gave her a severe stab in the haunch
with his knife. The wound, though partially healed, still galled her
extremely, and made her even more perverse and obstinate than the rest
of her species.

The morning was a glorious one, and I was in better health than I had
been at any time for the last two months. Though a strong frame and well
compacted sinews had borne me through hitherto, it was long since I had
been in a condition to feel the exhilaration of the fresh mountain wind
and the gay sunshine that brightened the crags and trees. We left the
little valley and ascended a rocky hollow in the mountain. Very soon we
were out of sight of the camp, and of every living thing, man, beast,
bird, or insect. I had never before, except on foot, passed over such
execrable ground, and I desire never to repeat the experiment. The black
mule grew indignant, and even the redoubtable yellow horse stumbled
every moment, and kept groaning to himself as he cut his feet and legs
among the sharp rocks.

It was a scene of silence and desolation. Little was visible except
beetling crags and the bare shingly sides of the mountains, relieved
by scarcely a trace of vegetation. At length, however, we came upon
a forest tract, and had no sooner done so than we heartily wished
ourselves back among the rocks again; for we were on a steep descent,
among trees so thick that we could see scarcely a rod in any direction.

If one is anxious to place himself in a situation where the hazardous
and the ludicrous are combined in about equal proportions, let him get
upon a vicious mule, with a snaffle bit, and try to drive her through
the woods down a slope of 45 degrees. Let him have on a long rifle, a
buckskin frock with long fringes, and a head of long hair. These latter
appendages will be caught every moment and twitched away in small
portions by the twigs, which will also whip him smartly across the face,
while the large branches above thump him on the head. His mule, if she
be a true one, will alt