64 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



them for further exertions. The day following, 

 Dyche was working with his gun, trying to extract 

 an obstinate shell, when Brown came hurrying into 

 the tent with his eyes dilated and his whole frame 

 shaking with excitement. He pointed to a bunch of 

 trees near by, where Dyche saw a magnificent buck, 

 about seventy-five yards away. Dropping on one 

 knee he fired just as the animal was disappearing 

 amid the timber. The buck was found dead a hun- 

 dred yards from the place where he was shot. 



It was evident that in this part of the country there 

 was little game which they wanted, and next day the 

 skins and venison were packed on the donkeys and 

 the back trail taken. At Camp Wild Horse a stop 

 was made, and Brown took the donkeys and with all 

 the spare meat started for Harvey's ranch, leaving 

 Dyche alone in the mountains. To while away the 

 time during the seven days of Brown's absence, 

 Dyche amused himself with trap-setting. He saw 

 some martens catching conies in the rocks and suc- 

 ceeded in getting two of them. He carried the big 

 bear-trap down into the canon and set it, and went 

 every morning and evening to see it. A V-shaped 

 pen of logs was made and the trap set in this. Foxes 

 were cunning enough to climb over the logs and eat 

 the bait. To prevent this the top of the pen was cov- 

 ered with brush, and then the foxes dug holes under 

 the logs. Dyche now had a time of it to outwit the 

 little animals. He set traps around the logs, but the 

 foxes evaded them. Then he set traps away from the 

 pen and had the satisfaction of catching the robbers. 



Six days had passed in this way, and on the morn- 



