It is in
the prairie, with its ocean-like waving of grass, like a vast sea
without landmarks, that the traveller feels a sickly sensation of
loneliness. There he feels as if not in the world, although not out of
it; there he finds no sign or trace to tell him that there are, beyond
or behind him, countries where millions of his own kindred are living
and moving. It is in the prairie that man really feels that he
is--alone.
We rode briskly along till sun-down, and encamped by the side of a small
water-hole, formed by a hollow in the prairie. The mustangs, as well as
the deer and antelopes, had left this part of the prairie, driven out,
doubtless, by the scarcity of water. Had it not been for occasional
showers, while travelling through this dreary waste, we should most
inevitably have perished, for even the immense chasms had no water in
them, except that temporarily supplied by the rains.
CHAPTER XXII.
The morning broke bright and cloudless, the sun rising from the horizon
in all his majesty. Having saddled our horses, we pursued our journey in
a north-east direction; but we had scarcely proceeded six miles before
we suddenly came upon an immense rent or chasm in the earth, far
exceeding in depth the one we had so much difficulty in crossing the day
before.
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