286 ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



upon a cross trail, where the elks had plunged down the 

 other side like an avalanche, falling over logs, jumping and 

 plunging headlong. It was useless to follow them now, 

 so I started for camp. When on the rimrock I caught sight 

 of a cow as she sped past a small opening about three hun- 

 dren yards away. I dashed after her at the top of my speed, 

 urging Blackhawk at every bound. As I came to the preci- 

 pice I saw three cows and a calf dash around the rimrock 

 and disappear. But I rapidly followed, jumping ditches, 

 logs and rocks until I gained the bottom, which opened into 

 a park. 



Here I saw a cow, which was among the rocks far up in 

 the timber, turn and start back. Leaving my horse, I ran 

 through the trees, keeping an open place in view, hoping 

 that she would pass that way, but,, instead of doing so, she 

 turned again and took her first course, which would bring 

 her out right at our camp. I remounted and followed as 

 fast as I could until presently I found myself in a windfall 

 so dense that it was impossible to proceed. Upon my re- 

 turn to camp I learned that our teamsters had seen the elk 

 pass within five hundred yards. It was almost night, so 

 we contented outselves by planning our program for the 

 next day. 



As this spot was to be our permanent camp, we earnest- 

 ly set to work to make ourselves fully comfortable. Our 

 large Sibley tent was soon set up in a beautiful little nook 

 close to some evergreens, and we filled it a foot deep with 

 hemlock, spruce and juniper boughs, the mingling of their 

 odors giving out a delightful perfume. Every man 

 worked with a will, and all preparations were speedily made. 

 Then, after a supper of tenderloin venison, potatoes, onions, 

 honey, biscuit, coffee and plums, we sat smoking the peace- 

 pipe, and speculated on the location of the band of forty- 

 five elks. 



