The Arkansas advocate., 1835-05-01

minds not to put any thing more to 1t, where ! l had one to do so. All that I could see
 about me was two big logs on the side of l the little rise, and l concluded to give them try carried my fire 10 the side of the
 lower one, and then turned in to rolling the
 tho upper one down along side of 1t.
 made half-a-dozen trials, and then gave it up. | did not believe then that half-a-dozen oxen could have stirred it. l went and laid my gun on high stump, so that Andrews and Chambers might see 1t, and sat down by the fire again. l would have died then, willingly. After while, I thought that
 would take another try, and went to the log again. gave one lift, but 1t was in vain. Rage and desparr urged me on again, and
 llfted With strength which seems aston ing to me now, and felt it move. I tried again, and out it came; and as ! raised this last time, 1 saw the fire flash out of my eyes, and felt the joints of my back snap together. l rolled 1t down along side of the other, and they made a most glorious ire, which was burning when Chambers and Andrews came by, the next day.
 Here lay, that is to say, sat up on deer skin about as big as the brim of a hat, all night It cleared off in the night, but did not grow so much colder as expected.
 9.-This morning took my chunk of fire, and put out again. l had not taken my moccasins off here. for fear of never getting them on again; and in half an hour they were froZe stiff again. thought, just after starting, that never would get across the Black Lake, and turned back and went half mile, intending to lay at my fire until Chambers and Andrews came up; for there was no kind of track in the lake, and did not know whether was going right or wrong. l again summoned up resolution, turned my face to Taos again, and by good luck kept the right course. made three fires this day before stopped at night, and after all came nigh giving up the ghost se- verai times. l wished heartily to die, but hated to kill myself and so kept moving.
 When l got into the narrow canon, beyond the Black Lake, saw mule track ortwo again, and again thought l might get some place. After leaving the canon, encamp- ed on the head of a spring, not many miles this side of the last mountain, and was more comfortable here than any where in the
 mountains There was an old pine fallen. and l stripped some big pieces of the bark
 of, put one under me, one edgeways at my back, and one at my head, as we'll as one at my feet, and lay down. This was luxu- ". Still felt no hunger, and still l kept my meceasins on.
 ll.-This morning I gathered me chunk aud started, concluding this would be the last day 1 could hold out. I soon reached the foot of the mountain, and in the way, and during the ascent, I sat down several times, never intending to rise again. It seems pretty bold thing to say, and hard to believe, but so 1t is. The thoughts of turning coward would raise me again, and kept on until reached the top of the mountain. You know what dark, black looking place 1t IS on the other side, away down, down, in the depth of the valley.- When looked off from the summit of the mountain, and saw 1t, the thought flashed into my mind that this must be the Black
 Lake. No man in the world can express the feelings which came over me then. I still kept moving down the mountain, and when about half way down, I threw away my chunk of fire, and gave myself up to die: still, however, resolving to move as long as had life. had sat by my fire and wept at night, and had prayers in my heart, though did not utter them; but I shed not a tear now. I kept on through the valley, and towards noon reached the canon, which | knew to be twelve miles from the still house. knew where I was now, and found mule-tracks here. Now determined to go in or die; and in fact as had thrown away my fire, had no other chance, for could not have made fire. ] could not use my hands bit. l had gone but a little way in the canon, when found d beaten track, and soon got to the places where wood had been cut. My feet were now all cut to pieces by my hard moccasins, and l could hear the blood splash in them as l walked. as though they were full of water, while the snow would gather in the heels of them until the hinder part of my foot would be four inches, some- times, from the moccasin. After a while, saw COW: it was the pleasantest sight l ever saw in my life; and just as had concluded not to walk more than half an hour longer, and as went staggering along, so sleepy that I could hardly move, heard chicken crow. How 1t walked me up L. and soon after came in sight of the old mud still house. l went round to the low CT end of 1t, and two or three dogs came out and began upon me. In minute, 1 could see two men looking through the hole in the door. could have shot both their