134 The Wilderness Hunter 



we camped under our wagon. At the mouth of the 

 stream the valley was a mere gorge, but it broad 

 ened steadily the further up we went, till the rapid 

 river wound through a wide expanse of hilly, tree 

 less prairie. On each side the mountains rose, their 

 lower flanks and the foothills covered with the ever 

 green forest. We got milk and bread at the scat 

 tered log-houses of the few settlers; and for meat 

 we shot sage fowl, which abounded. They were 

 feeding on grasshoppers at this time, and the flesh, 

 especially of the young birds, was as tender and well 

 tasting as possible; whereas, when we again passed 

 through the valley in September, we found the birds 

 almost uneatable, being fairly bitter with sage. Like 

 all grouse, they are far tamer earlier in the season 

 than later, being very wild in winter ; and, of course, 

 they are boldest where they are least hunted; but 

 for some unexplained reason they are always tamer 

 than the sharp-tail prairie fowl which are to be 

 found in the same locality. 



Finally we reached the neighborhood of the Battle 

 Ground, where a rude stone monument commemo 

 rates the bloody drawn fight between General Gib 

 bons soldiers and the Nez Perces warriors of Chief 

 Joseph. Here, on the third day of our journey, we 

 left the beaten road and turned toward the moun 

 tains, following an indistinct trail made by wood- 

 choppers. We met with our full share of the usual 

 mishaps incident to prairie travel ; and toward even- 



