From my path a flock of partridges whirred up and, perching upon a near-by tree, gazed curiously at the fur-clad being stumbling headlong through the woods. A hare leaped from the snow and scampered to one side within easy bow-shot; but I heeded neither bird nor beast, for my one thought was to leave the accursed buildings behind, to regain my cabin, and to throw myself upon my rude bunk to await the deadly sickness I felt sure would be my fate.
Breathless, exhausted, and panting I reached the hut, threw off my outer garments, and huddled in my bed to spend an awful afternoon and night, as, alternately shaking with cold chills and burning with fever, I waited for the first symptoms of the malady.
To add to my misery the lynx howled in the woods near by, and in its awful cries I seemed to hear a dire foreboding of my death; a note of triumphant malice, as if the creature knew my plight and realized that ere long I would be helpless, that, ill and dying, I could offer no resistance, and that, tearing his way through the flimsy roof, he could spring on me and glut himself upon my wasted flesh.
Like some terrible nightmare the long hours passed, for I was more terrified than ever before in my life, and no savage creature, no danger of the forest, not even the dread of losing my foot, had filled me with such mortal fear as the thought of lying alone and uncared for in my hut while dying slowly of the smallpox.
But toward morning sheer exhaustion compelled me to sleep, and the day was well advanced when I again awoke. Then, feeling strong, hungry, and as well as ever, much of my first fear left me and, pulling myself together, I looked the matter squarely in the face.
After all, I reasoned, I might not have contracted the disease. I had been vaccinated a few years before, and even if this was no longer efficacious I might be naturally immune to smallpox. And then another cheering thought came to me. Perhaps the two who had died were the only victims and the others had left before the disease had spread. Moreover, I now remembered there was no date other than October 25 upon the rude epitaph, and, for all I knew, the cross might have been erected several years before and the village might have been occupied for long thereafter by healthy people. All these sensible thoughts comforted and cheered me and revived my spirits greatly. I decided there was no use of worrying over what might never happen and that if I had contracted the disease there would be time enough to fear the results when sickness came on.
Meanwhile I was busily preparing my breakfast, for I was very hungry, having quite forgotten to eat during my fright the day before. I was half through my meal when a new idea came to me.
I had found this very cabin deserted. Was it not probable that its occupants had also been afflicted with smallpox? For an instant I was quite overcome with the thought that I might have been dwelling for many weeks where people had suffered or died with the contagious disease, but the next moment I burst into a hearty laugh, for I realized that if, as I suspected, there had been smallpox in the cabin, the fact that I had not contracted it was proof that I had little need to fear. Thus reassured and casting all worry aside, I gathered up my weapons and went forth to search for game.
This morning I decided to take a new route and to cross the lake, which, I felt sure, was frozen hard enough to bear my weight in safety, for I still had a lingering feeling that the way to the settlements lay across the lake, and I was anxious to explore the farther side.
Traveling upon the smooth, unobstructed surface of the lake was easy, and I soon reached the opposite shores. I found the forest far heavier here, while rocky ledges, cliffs, and ravines made travel very difficult. In fact, I found it impossible to penetrate far into the woods, and in the hopes of finding some trail, pass, or opening I skirted the shore of the lake from one end to the other. But everywhere I found the same wild, impassable country, and, becoming firmly convinced that the settlements did not lie in this direction, I headed around the upper end of the lake toward home.