До Адама
Chapter XII
Weclimbedanddescendedmightycanyonsandgorges;andever,fromeveryviewpoint,therespreadoutbeforeus,inalldirections,rangeuponrange,theunceasingmountains.Wesleptatnightinholesandcrevices,andononecoldnightweperchedontopaslenderpinnacleofrockthatwasalmostlikeatree.
Andthen,atlast,onehotmidday,dizzywithhunger,wegainedthedivide.Fromthishighbackboneofearth,tothenorth,acrossthediminishing,down-fallingranges,wecaughtaglimpseofafarlake.Thesunshoneuponit,andaboutitwereopen,levelgrass-lands,whiletotheeastwardwesawthedarklineofawide-stretchingforest.
Weweretwodaysingainingthelake,andwewereweakwithhunger;butonitsshore,sleepingsnuglyinathicket,wefoundapart-growncalf.Itgaveusmuchtrouble,forweknewnootherwaytokillthanwithourhands.Whenwehadgorgedourfill,wecarriedtheremainderofthemeattotheeastwardforestandhiditinatree.Weneverreturnedtothattree,fortheshoreofthestreamthatdrainedFarLakewaspackedthickwithsalmonthathadcomeupfromtheseatospawn.
Westwardfromthelakestretchedthegrass-lands,andhereweremultitudesofbisonandwildcattle.Alsoweretheremanypacksofwilddogs,andastherewerenotreesitwasnotasafeplaceforus.Wefollowednorthalongthestreamfordays.Then,andforwhatreasonIdonotknow,weabruptlyleftthestreamandswungtotheeast,andthentothesoutheast,throughagreatforest.Ishallnotboreyouwithourjourney.IbutindicateittoshowhowwefinallyarrivedattheFirePeople’scountry.