OUR CAMP ON WALNUT CREEK 



I put down the rifle, drew my knife, and went 

 to work. Having had considerable experience in 

 skinning wolves, I was quite expert at it and soon 

 had the eight pelts stripped off the dead coyotes 

 and rolled up together ready for tying on behind 

 my saddle. 



The process of skinning was simple. I turned 

 the wolf on his back and with the point of my 

 knife split the skin from the point of the chin 

 down the throat and belly to the root of the tail; 

 then split the inside of each leg from the foot to 

 an intersection of the first, or belly cut; then 

 stripped back the skin from belly, legs, and sides. 

 The tail was then slipped off the bone whole, with- 

 out splitting, in this way: strip the skin of the tail 

 away from the bone for about an inch at the root; 

 then slip a split stick over the bone, take an end 

 of the stick in each hand, clamping the bone 

 tightly, and give a jerk toward the end of the 

 tail. The bone slips out of its skin as if it were 

 greased. 



When it came to tying the skins on behind the 

 saddle, Prince objected very strongly, and I was 

 compelled to blindfold him before I could accom- 

 plish the job. After I had mounted, Prince was 

 still nervous, but by coaxing and talking kindly 

 to him I soon got him reconciled to carrying the 

 burden. 



When I reached camp I found Jack jubilating 

 over three fine beavers which he had carried up 



