mself. He had wanted the
element of danger as a spice for his hunting, and he had most certainly
found it. He had been near death often, but never nearer than when the
old bull plunged against him. He rose slowly and painfully, shook
himself several times to throw off as well as he could the effect of his
heavy jolt, then picked up his rifle at one point and his pistol at
another.

The herd was gone, but the cow that he had chosen lay dead, and, as her
condition showed him that he had been unconscious not more than five
minutes, there was his fresh beef after all. As his strength was fast
returning, he cut up and dressed the cow, an achievement in which a long
experience in hunting had made him an expert. He hung the quarters in a
dense thicket of tall bushes where vultures or buzzards could not get at
them, and took some of the tenderest steaks home with him.

He broiled the steaks over a fine bed of coals in front of the house and
ate them with bread that he baked himself from the ship's flour. He
enjoyed his dinner and he was devoutly grateful for his escape. But how
much pleasanter it would have been if Willet and Tayoga, those faithful
comrades of many perils, were there with him to share it! He wondered
what they were doing. Doubtless they had hunted for him long, and they
had suspected and sought to trace Garay, but the cunning spy doubtless
had fled from Albany immediately after his capture. Willet and Tayoga,
failing to find him, would join in the great campaign which the British
and Americans would certainly organize anew against Canada.

It was this thought of the campaign that was most bitter to Robert. He
was heart and soul in the war, in which he believed mighty issues to be
involved, and he had seen so much of it already that he wanted to be in
it to the finish. When these feelings were strong upon him it was almost
intolerable to be there upon the island, alone and helpless. All the
world's great events were passing him by as if he did not exist. But the
periods of gloom would not last long. Despite his new gravity, his
cheerful, optimistic spirit remained, and it always pulled him away from
the edge of despair.

Although he had an abundance of fresh meat, he went on a second hunt of
the wild cattle in order to keep mind and body occupied. He wanted
particularly to find the big bull that had knocked him down, and he knew
that he would recognize him when he found him. He saw a herd grazing on
the same