to me all night, or the wolves that were prowling around would, in the
darkness, make short work of me. So, miserable and wet though I was, I
tied the loose end of the lariat around my waist, and selecting a spot
where the grass was good, I sat down in the middle of it, there to pass
the night.

"It was, indeed, of all nights the saddest and most miserable. I could
not sleep. I was full of sorrow. If I tried to shut my eyes, there was
before me the sight of my mother, sinking, sinking down, down in that
treacherous quicksand.

"The wolves were very troublesome. They would sit out in the gloom and
howl in their melancholy way. Then they would arouse themselves and try
to get hold of me. But my horse, well accustomed to fighting these
animals, would rush at them as far as the lariat would allow, and would
either strike at them with his fore feet, or, swinging around quickly,
would so vigorously lash out with his hind legs that the cowardly brutes
would quickly skulk back into the gloom.

"The long night ended at length, and the welcome morning came. I found
that my poor leg, which had caused all the trouble, was much better.
Perhaps this was from having been so long in the water. I was able to
ride, and so I hurried away from the sight of the river that had so
cruelly swallowed up my mother. My faithful horse, that had already
been my deliverer, was very patient while, in my crippled state, I
managed to get up on his back. I had eaten nothing since yesterday, but
I thought nothing of that; I only wanted to get my sinking mother out of
my eyes, and get away from that dreadful river which we had to cross.
Horses are very wise about these quicksands, and so I just held on to
the lariat, which I had made into a kind of a halter, and let him choose
his own course. Very quickly and safely did he convey me across, and
soon did we find the trail along which my father and the other hunters
had travelled. We hurried on very rapidly, until my horse was tired,
and then we stopped for a few hours in a ravine where we were well
sheltered from hostile Indians, if any should be lurking about. The
grass was luxuriant and abundant, and my horse enjoyed it very much.

"When the hottest part of the day was over we again found the trail and
pushed on until sundown. Where the grass was good I tethered my horse
with the lariat, and for the first time began to feel hungry. But I had
nothing to eat, neither had I bow nor arrow.