attempted to rise, but, utterly helpless, he bent his
body so as to form a circle, concealing his head upon his breast under
his huge paws, and uttered a low growl, half menacing, half plaintive.
Had we had powder to waste, we would certainly have rid the gramnivorous
from many of their carnivorous neighbours, but we were now entering a
tract of country celebrated for the depredations of the Texans and
Buggles free bands, and every charge of powder thrown away was a chance
the less, in case of a fight.

As by this time our horses were in want of rest, we took off their
saddles, and the poor things feasted better than they had done for a
long while. As for us, we had fortunately still a good supply of the
cold calf, for we felt a repugnance to cut the throats of any of the
poor broken-down creatures before us. Close to us there was a fine
noble stag, for which I immediately took a fancy. He was so worn out
that he could not even move a few inches to get at the grass, and his
dried, parched tongue showed plainly how much he suffered from the want
of water. I pulled up two or three handfuls of clover, which I presented
to him; but though he tried to swallow it, he could not.

As there was a water-hole some twenty yards off, I took the doctor's fur
cap, and filling it with water, returned to the stag. What an expressive
glance! What beautiful eyes! I sprinkled at first some drops upon his
tongue, and then, putting the water under his nose, he soon drained it
up. My companions became so much interested with the sufferings of the
poor animals, that they took as many of the young fawns as they could,
carrying them to the edge of the water-hole, that they might regain
their strength and fly away before the wolves could attack them.

Upon my presenting a second capful of water to the stag, the grateful
animal licked my hands, and, after having drunk, tried to rise to follow
me, but its strength failing, its glances followed me as I was walking
to and fro; they spoke volumes; I could understand their meaning. I hate
to hear of the superiority of man! Man is ungrateful as a viper, while a
horse, a dog, and many others of the "soulless brutes," will never
forget a kindness.

I wondered what had become of our three lawyers, who had wandered away
without their rifles, and had been more than two hours absent. I was
about to propose a search after them when they arrived, with their
knives and tomahawks, and their clothes all smeare