Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/98

 ing hummock of wood. The wound must have been mortal, as these animals never leave their cabs until they are themselves on the point of sinking. With the carcase of the young bear, I paid my last guide, who seemed highly to prize the reward, and then abandoned the chase, deeming it only prudent, after what happened yesterday, to retrace my steps towards the camp of my friends. So I returned, crossing the river two miles lower down than formerly, and halted at night in a low point of wood near a small stream.

Saturday and Sunday, the 28th and 29th.—Both these days being very rainy, as yesterday also was, and having very little clothing, I made all the exertion in my power to reach Mr. McLeod's encampment near the sea. It was impossible to keep myself dry, and the poor horses so fatigued that I was obliged to walk all the way and lead my own by the bridle, the road becoming continually worse and worse from the floods of rain. On Saturday night I halted at my second crossing place, but could procure no food from the Indians, the bad weather having so swollen the river as to prevent their fishing. I boiled the last of my rice for supper, which gave but a scanty meal, and resuming my march the next day, proceeded pretty well, till, reaching the wooded top of the lofty river bank, my jaded horse stumbled and rolling down descended the whole depth, over dead wood and large stones, and would infallibly have been dashed to pieces in the river below, had he not been arrested by getting himself wedged fast between two large trees that were lying across one another near the bottom. I hurried down after him, and tying his legs and head close down, to prevent his struggling, cut with my hatchet through one of the trees, and set the poor beast at liberty. I felt a great deal on this occasion, as the horse had been Mr. McLoughlin's present to me, and was his own favourite animal. Reached