A line of bushes in the distance indicated water, so he sped on again, and was soon seated beneath a willow, drinking water from the cool stream.

No game was to be found here, but there were several kinds of berries, among which wild grapes and plums grew in abundance.
With these and some sugar he made a meal, though not a good one, for the berries were quite green and intensely sour.
All that day Dick Varley followed up the trail of his companions, which he discovered at a ford in the river.

They had crossed, therefore, in safety, though still pursued; so he ran on at a regular trot, and with a little more hope than he had felt during the day.
Towards night, however, Dick's heart sank again, for he came upon innumerable buffalo tracks, among which those of the horses soon became mingled up, so that he lost them altogether.

Hoping to find them again more easily by broad daylight, he went to the nearest clump of willows he could find, and encamped for the night.
Remembering the use formerly made of the tall willows, he set to work to construct a covering to protect him from the dew.

As he had no blanket or buffalo skin, he used leaves and grass instead, and found it a better shelter than he had expected, especially when the fire was lighted, and a pannikin of hot sugar and water smoked at his feet; but as no game was to be found, he was again compelled to sup off unripe berries.