TWENTY YEARS IN THE ROCKIES. 49 



had said that with my Winchester I could kill two at least 

 out of five of these birds on the wing. My first shot brought 

 down two as they slowly arose and flew away from me. 



"That won't do, it was a chance shot ; you must try it 

 again/' said the boys. 



I tried again and brought down three. Colonel Warner, 

 with his breech-loader, brought down two more. The 

 grouse started up about twenty paces from us and were 

 slow on the wind, but I scarcely ever failed to bring down 

 two. Such a dinner as we sat down to that day ! We fairly 

 reveled in luxuries. Grouse, venison bacon, potatoes, syrup, 

 flapjacks, with coffee strong enough to speak for itself. 

 We stopped eating when there was nothing more to eat. 

 Our motto was, "Eat as long as you can see anything to 

 eat ; never lay by anything for tomorrow." We had a novel 

 way of washing our dishes. Each man filled his pan about 

 half full of sand and with a bunch of grass rubbed away 

 until it was bright and clean. All were thus washed, thrown 

 into the mess-chest and put away. 



At Antelope Springs we stopped to examine some coal. 

 The vein was from five to ten feet deep and seemed to be 

 very good. The country around this point is covered with 

 sagebrush. This brush grows about three feet high on the 

 open ground, spreads out in every direction and is very stiff 

 and unwieldy. Mingled with this were prickly-pears,, mak- 

 ing travel very toilsome. This day the teams showed unus- 

 ual signs of fatigue ; some of the horses staggered like 

 drunken men. The mules and the oxen stood the trip much 

 better. We were now in sight of Powder River. Just as the 

 first teams were driven into its waters up jumped a five- 

 pronged buck. Several shots were fired, one striking him 

 in the front leg. As he swam towards the rear division, 

 another volley was poured into him. We exchanged con- 

 gratulations on the feast in store for us. 



