ute my eyes were closely shut. When I awoke it was already
dawn, but Mike, instead of keeping watch, was as sound asleep as I had
been.

"Hallo, Mike!" I exclaimed; "I thought that you intended to rest with
one eye open all night."

"Sure, Masther Roger, haven't I done so, barring the last few minutes,"
he answered. "I did my best, thinking that every moment you would be
getting up; and small blame to me if at last I dramed that you did get
up, and told me that you would take a turn at watching."

"Never mind, since no harm has happened," I said. "Now let us mount our
horses and ride forward till we can get some cold water for breakfast."

Our animals, who now knew us, came at our call; and throwing ourselves
on their backs, we galloped forward as we had done the day before. Not
a human being did we meet with during the whole day, and in the evening
we encamped by the side of a broad stream overshadowed by trees. From
the appearance of several deep holes close under the bank, we hoped that
fish might be found in them. As soon, therefore, as we had secured our
horses, we set to work to manufacture lines for the two hooks which Mike
had found in his pocket.

Some people might have been puzzled how to get the lines, but we were
not to be defeated in our object. We procured them by cutting off a
small portion of the two hobbles, which consisted of long strips of
deer-hide, and plucking some hairs out of our horses' tails. The
deer-hide we cut into thinner strips, which served for the upper part of
the lines, while the lower were formed of the hair platted together. We
thus in a short time had two good lines, to which we carefully secured
the hooks. Having caught some grasshoppers, we determined to try them
for bait; while our spears served us for fishing-rods. Hunger made us
keen sportsmen, and never had I felt so anxious for success.

My line had not been long in the water when I felt a bite. I almost
trembled with eagerness as I gave a gentle jerk, sufficient to hook the
unwary fish. It tugged pretty hard, and I was sure that I had it fast;
but still I was afraid that it might break my line. Carefully I drew it
along till I got it sufficiently near the surface to ascertain its size.
To my satisfaction, I saw that it was not more than two or three
pounds' weight. After playing it for some time I drew it towards the
bank, when Mike, who had hitherto not got a bite, left his rod and
rushed into the wate