g the snow and mud in daylight. Coming to an open piece
of woods, and seeing a large tree which had been felled, we went to it
and found what protection we could in its thick top for the balance of
the day, the monotony of the stay being relieved by exchange from snow
to rain and from rain to snow every now and then.

Just before dark it cleared up, and we once more started on our way,
meeting with no obstacle until we reached the Little Missouri River
bottom, which was crossed by an old corduroy road, and then we had some
more fun.

For two miles and a half we blundered along on this road, in a gloomy
darkness, every few minutes coming to a spot where one or the other of
us would slip through between the logs and sink up to our knees in the
mud and water, which fact was generally communicated to the others by
harsh criticisms upon the efficiency of the county commissioners.

When we reached the river we were about as tired as men can be and stand
up, but we found that the ferry-boat was on the other side, and we had
to seek some place in which to rest for the night and await daylight.
Going back a short distance from the river we found an open space where
there were signs of a former camp, and we tried to build a fire.
Everything was soaking wet, and all our efforts ended in smoke, except a
few sulphurous remarks. There was no shelter to be had; we had to sleep
in the open, and the ground was too wet to be comfortable. After some
discussion, we decided to try standing up, which means of rest we
enjoyed for the balance of the night.

Did you ever try to find a place to rest when everything upon which you
could possibly sit or lie was soaking wet? If so, you can understand
why we chose to stand up. Did you ever try to sleep in a standing
posture, or to rest in like position for any length of time? If so, you
will appreciate the following:

Throwing my blanket over my head, I braced myself firmly against a tree,
closed my eyes, and--the next thing I knew I was in a heap on the wet
ground, wildly struggling with my blanket, my knees having relaxed as I
became unconscious. Now fully awake, I took a walk around to find a
better spot, but soon came back to my first location and tried it again.
This time I remained awake long enough to realize, by the time that the
comfortable feelings of drowsiness were again stealing over me, that the
air inside of my blanket was not pleasant to breathe, and, in throwing
the covering fr