2IO ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



One morning I took a good saddle-horse and started up 

 the mountain, determined to have some sport of a more 

 exciting nature. An old wagon track took me into a thickly 

 wooded gulch, and I soon found myself surrounded by such 

 a mass of rugged rocks that I could go no farther, so I 

 turned back to firid a trail that would lead up the mountain. 

 Three times I attempted to ascend the broken ledge of rocks 

 which overhung the pine trees. At length I saw a large 

 elk's trail which wound around the mountain, like a huge 

 serpent, as far as the eye could see. I led my pony slowly 

 up this steep and rugged road, until the valley below looked 

 like a mere speck, the winding river glittered like a silver 

 thread, and the green trees looked no taller than blades of 

 grass. 



From the top of the mountain I beheld the Rocky Moun- 

 tains in the west, the Crazys to the north and the long saw- 

 tooth ranges of the Big Horn in the south. Deep down in 

 the canyon of the Big Horn mountains the waters, which 

 had fallen thousands of feet, rolled over huge rocks, and the 

 foam and white caps showed what a struggle was going on 

 between the boulders and the rushing tide. So far was I 

 above the mighty conflict that only a dull, low roar reached 

 my ears. 



I gathered some stones and hurled them into the chasm. 

 Not a sound arose from its depths, and mountain sheep 

 standing near the water's edge paid no attention. Far be- 

 low in a clump of cherry bushes were five deer, gathering 

 and eating the ripe fruit, while several bands of elk were 

 idly wandering, all unconscious of danger. While viewing 

 the scene in all its beauty, the desire to shoot something 

 became so strong that I could not resist the impulse, and I 

 pulled trigger on a large sheep, which stood upon a rock 

 fully one thousand feet below me on the opposite side of 

 the river. 



