PREFACE. V 



has read of wild sports in the West arc but myths 

 existing only in the brains of the Indians ; let him, I 

 say, remember that I have, so far as in me lay, painted 

 all this in its true colors, and that many an adventure 

 which reads admirably on paper, is in reality the 

 reverse of romantic. 



The chase in the United States is, moreover, rapidly 

 on the decline ; for the American hunter spares nothing, 

 and for some time, particularly since the day when skins 

 were first paid for in hard dollars, a Avar of extermina- 

 tion has been waged against the poor stags and bears ; 

 so that the hunter who, some five years hence, shall 

 visit these realms, will scarcely find his expectations of 

 sport realized, unless he is prepared either to content 

 himself with small game, or to penetrate to the Rocky 

 Mountains, and explore the territory of the Indians. 



AVith the concluding request to my readers, to re- 

 member that these pages are penned by a man who, so 

 to speak, has but just emerged from the forest, and who 

 relates his experiences to his friends at home, not caring 

 for the fact that he might, perhaps, by adopting a differ- 

 ent method, have told his story with more effect, this 

 diary is submitted to the kind consideration of the pub- 

 lic, by 



Tin-: AUTIIOK. 



A* 



