The increasing quantity of forest, partially obscuring the course of the river, renders it now no easy task to trace its inflexions.
After proceeding twelve miles over a rugged country, at present destitute of water, we were rejoiced to find at our dining-place a puddle of stagnant rain-water, which had been protected from the action of the sun by the elevated and almost impending bank of the ravine in which it was situated, and which, though mantled o'er with green, was yet cool and grateful to our pressing thirst.
We left our cool and shady retreat, and again betook ourselves to the prairies, under a temperature of 96 degrees. Our remaining dog, Buck, had been, [86] since the regretted death of his companion, treated with all the kindness and attention due to a humble friend. He was very frequently accommodated with a ride on horseback before one of the men when he betrayed unusual exhaustion. But notwithstanding all such attentions, for which he seemed touched with the feelings of gratitude, he experienced Cæsar's fate, and was necessarily abandoned.
The evening encampment was pitched upon a luxuriant grassy plain on the margin of the river. On tasting the water, it was perceived to be slightly saline, though the proportion of that condiment was not so considerable as to render it unpleasant to the palate. This saline intermixture is, no doubt, due to the Red river fork, inasmuch as the river, above the entrance of that stream, appeared entirely destitute of saline contamination, and no stream enters on this side in which the slightest apparent degree of brackishness is to be detected by the taste.
The cotton tree is less numerous in this vicinity than we have seen it higher up the river, and being intermixed with other trees, forms but an insignificant feature of the forest.
Sunday, 20th. Heavy rain, accompanied with much thunder and lightning, commenced early in the night, and continued until day-light this morning. Hunters who had been sent out detained us until nine o'clock, when they returned unsuccessful; in consequence of which, and of our having made a sparing meal last evening on a turkey that had been shot, we were obliged to depart fasting on our way.
The ravines were muddy and their banks slippery in consequence of the rain; we had, however, the good fortune to fall upon an Indian trace, which complied with our proper direction, and which indicated the best points at which the gullies might be passed. In its course it conducted us to a creek which was pouring down a torrent of water. Here was an encampment that had obviously been occupied [87] within a day or two, there being fresh rinds of water-melons strewed about it.
One of the party, on attempting to cross this creek, was thrown into the water, in consequence of his horse having plunged suddenly beyond his depth; he however avoided being carried down with the rapid current, by seizing the depending bough of a tree; the horse also was fortunately saved; by taking a different direction, we all passed over without further casualty.[117]
But we were unable to trace any farther the party that we thus ascertained to have so recently preceded us, their footsteps being here entirely obliterated by the rain.