The Argosy — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Dee i 1867. Alone in the Forest. 33 that All-merciful and Almighty Being, who, if it was His will, could furnish a table in the wilderness, and supply rivers of water in a thirsty land ; and with this thought I fell asleep. I awoke next morning with a dull pain in my head, and a parched and feverish tongue. With a draught from one of the wild pines, spite of my weakness and lassitude, I struggled on. For many long hours I battled with the almost impenetrable woods without seeing any sign of man, either Indian or civilized. The nature of the ground I was traversing required great physical exertion; but, notwithstanding, onward I went, forcing my way through the dense thicket, now dragging myself through mud-holes, and now stumbling over fallen trees, till at last I was brought to a standstill by a mass of broken rock, covered with cactus. Footsore, exhausted, and ill, I sat down. I could go no farther. I believe I must have fainted; at any rate, for a time I was quite un-* conscious of all around me. I now gave up all hope of ever extricating myself from this mterminable wilderness, for I felt that death was fast approaching me. Suddenly the full horror of my position burst upon me, and, with the energy of despair, I started up and staggered on, I knew not and cared not whither. A strange feeling of torpor, of madness, passed through my brain; things seemed to swim around me, and I reeled and fell to the ground. With an effort I got on my feet again, but again I reeled and fell. I lay for some time in a drowsy state of indifference. I seemed not to care whether I lived or died. At one moment I was conscious that my last hour was approaching, and I tried to pray; but the ‘next I was wandering, and knew not what I said. I felt that I ought to strive to prepare for death ; but I feared it was too late. How all the means of grace and opportunities of repentance which I had neglected rose up and confronted me! I had always consoled myself with the idea that I was young, and that death and eternity were a long way off; and now the grim destroyer was upon me! How stupid, how positively suicidal seemed my past indifference and neglect! How insignificant did the world, its joys and pleasures, appear to me, standing there on the brink of eternity! In my anguish, cold drops of perspira- tion fell from my brow, and an agonizing cry to Him who alone could afford me help and succour broke from my lips. This was followed by a time of perfect oblivion : how long it lasted I had no idea. Suddenly, however, a new existence dawned upon me._ I opened my eyes, but the brightness which shone around me was so overpowering that I closed them again, and endeavoured to arrange the confused multitude of ideas that thronged tumultuously through my brain. All, however, was so vague and indistinct that I gave up the attempt in despair. After awhile all this passed away, and I found myself lying in 2 D comicaocks (GO)