ate, and the happiest evening he ever spent--so wonderfully do
circumstances modify our notions of felicity!

Two weeks after this "Richard was himself again." The muscles were
springy, and the blood coursed fast and free, as was its wont. Only a
slight, and, perhaps, salutary feeling of weakness remained, to remind
him that young muscles might again become more helpless than those of an
aged man or a child.

Dick had left his encampment a week ago, and was now advancing by rapid
stages towards the Rocky Mountains, closely following the trail of his
lost comrades, which he had no difficulty in finding and keeping, now
that Crusoe was with him. The skin of the buffalo that he had killed
was now strapped to his shoulders, and the skin of another animal that
he had shot a few days after was cut up into a long line and slung in a
coil round his neck. Crusoe was also laden. He had a little bundle of
meat slung on each side of him.

For some time past numerous herds of mustangs or wild horses, had
crossed their path, and Dick was now on the look out for a chance to
_crease_ one of those magnificent creatures.

On one occasion a band of mustangs galloped close up to him before they
were aware of his presence, and stopped short with a wild snort of
surprise on beholding him; then, wheeling round, they dashed away at
full gallop, their long tails and manes flying wildly in the air, and
their hoofs thundering on the plain. Dick did not attempt to crease one
upon this occasion, fearing that his recent illness might have rendered
his hand too unsteady for so extremely delicate an operation.

In order to crease a wild horse the hunter requires to be a perfect
shot, and it is not every man of the west who carries a rifle that can
do it successfully. Creasing consists in sending a bullet through the
gristle of the mustang's neck, just above the bone, so as to stun the
animal. If the ball enters a hair's-breadth too low, the horse falls
dead instantly. If it hits the exact spot the horse falls as
instantaneously, and dead to all appearance; but, in reality, he is only
stunned, and if left for a few minutes will rise and gallop away nearly
as well as ever. When hunters crease a horse successfully they put a
rope, or halter, round his under jaw, and hobbles round his feet, so
that when he rises he is secured, and, after considerable trouble,
reduced to obedience.

The mustangs which roam in wild freedom on the prairies of