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drove all thoughts of hunger out of our heads I think if the excitement was kept up all day that we would not feel the least inconvenience from that source but when we considered ourselves safe having seen no signs of a pursuit hunger assailed us again more severly than at any previous time still we could not succeed in killing any kind of game. We kept on our course till darkness set in we were now in if possible a more gloomy place than last night tall forest trees hemmed us in at every side our view did not extend more than a few yards in every direction we choose a sheltered spot and lay down for the night the mule commenced eating the tops of small pine trees he was even better off than us we could not get the least nourishment! If something did not turn up before another day we should have to preserve life by dining upon mule flesh it was a pretty hard thing to take the poor faithful animals life but neccessity is above all law, I was so wearied out in body and mind that I soon fell asleep and fergot all my troubles I slept without awakening till after sunrise found that my friend had done equally well but on first getting on our feet we could hardly stand and for a few minutes we ? about like drunken men from very weakness I felt sick at the stomach and dizzinness in the head. Our mule was not i n sight but we were sure he had not gone far because he was not able we staggered around and found him in a short time and once more turned our faces towards the west. The most depressing thoughts now came into my head I thought that we were most certaintly lost and that we were doomed to die i n those gloomy mountains and our fate never be known.