here she goes.' At last the long needle marked the half hour, and
the landlord, having won the wager, turned round.

"'Where are they?' said he to his wife.

"'They?-who do you mean?' answered she.

"'The two gentlemen, to be sure.'

"'Why, they have been gone these last twenty minutes,'

"Slick was thunderstruck. 'And the pocket-book?' he uttered,
convulsively.

"His wife looked at him with ineffable contempt.

"'Why, you fool, you did not give them your money, did you?'

"Slick soon discovered that he was minus five hundred dollars, besides
the price of the two dinners. Since that time he never bets but cash
down, and in the presence of witnesses."

CHAPTER XXX.

We continued our route for a few days after we had left the buffaloes,
and now turned our horses' heads due east. Having left behind the
localities frequented by the wild herds, we soon became exposed to the
cravings of hunger. Now and then we would fall in with a prairie hen, a
turkey, or a few rattlesnakes, but the deer and antelopes were so shy,
that though we could see them sporting at a distance, we could never
come within a mile of them.

The ground was level, and the grass, although short, was excellent
pasture, and richly enamelled with a variety of flowers. It was a
beautiful country. We had fine weather during the day, but the nights
were exceedingly cold, and the dew heavy. Having lost our blankets, we
passed miserable nights. There was no fuel with which we could light our
fire; even the dung of animals was so scarce that we could not, during
seven days, afford to cook our scanty meals more than thrice, and the
four last grouse that we killed were eaten raw.

About the middle of the eighth day a dark line was seen rising above the
horizon, far in the south-east, and extending as far as the eye could
reach. We knew it was a forest, and that when we gained it we were
certain of having plenty to eat; but it was very far off, at least
twenty miles, and we were much exhausted. In the evening we were almost
driven to desperation by hunger, and we found that the approach to the
forest would prove long and difficult, as it was skirted by a bed of
thick briars and prickly pears, which in breadth could not be less than
three leagues, and that a passage must be forced through this almost
impassable barrier. The forest was undoubtedly the commencement of that
extended line of noble timber which encircles as a kind of natural
barrier the