CHAPTER V. 



Making a New Trail The Storm on the Mountain -Top 

 Neither Bear nor Elk A Journey in Utter Darkness 

 Catching Foxes Unwelcome Visitors Brown's Ava- 

 lanche The Bear was Handicapped An Experience with 

 Ants and Fleas. 

 



|FTER several days of fruitless search for 

 more bears, it was decided that the ani- 

 mals had left that particular part of the 

 mountains, and the naturalists concluded 

 to move camp. Cacheing the surplus meat in a 

 snow-drift and packing the camp equipment on the 

 backs of the burros, the little animals were headed 

 towards the north star, and the party went through 

 the woods, making a new trail. They did not have 

 the least idea of where they were going, except that 

 they wanted better hunting-grounds, where they 

 might possibly get bear or elk. It was said in that 

 vicinity that elk had been seen on the ridge between 

 the Pecos and Canadian rivers, and this ridge was 

 made the objective point. Their way led through 

 heavy spruce timber which lined the ridge, and about 

 noon they reached an open mesa on the side of the 

 mountain, which had been burned over. For this 

 reason travelling was difficult and they were com- 

 pelled to cut their way. 



While working through this down timber, two big 

 57 



