76 ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE GLAD JOY OF THE HUNT Plant growth in the Big Horn valley killing 

 a doe the shooting of Thomas Randall I kill my first grizzly the vic- 

 tim of a murderer Prior's pass the Big Horn mountains hunting 

 bufBaloes something about bears antelopes our guide turns back- 

 charming scenery the Bad Lands. 



On the night of August 20 we camped on the banks 

 of the Big Horn River, just opposite old Fort Smith, about 

 two miles from the canyon. The grass was three feet high ; 

 berries of all kinds were in abundance, with wild plums, crabs 

 and chokecherries. We spent a part of the time prospect- 

 ing, and found gold, TJut in very small quantities. It looked 

 as though it had been carried in the current for a long dis- 

 tance. As we had been without fresh meat for several days 

 and were feeling the need of it, I shouldered my rifle and 

 started down the river. The heavy undergrowth of cotton- 

 wood, berry bushes, rose bushes and red willow impeded 

 my progress. Many wild ducks sailed near, tempting me to 

 shoot, but I was loaded for larger game and could not af- 

 ford to waste ammunition. When about two miles from 

 camp I heard footsteps and the snapping of dried sticks. 

 The sounds seemed to come from behind a clump of bushes, 

 and in an instant my rifle was pointing toward the spot. I 

 advanced cautiously, made a close investigation, but found 

 nothing. Greatly puzzled, I plunged on through thickets, 

 thorns and water. I must have meat. It was a groundhog 

 case ; fat bacon was below par. I had eaten so much of the 



