AN ARDUOUS JOURNEY. 121 



who professed to be able to guide the party through 

 the Cascade Mountains or anywhere else. During 

 this wait in Denver Dyche continued his target 

 practice, and on the eleventh of the month all were 

 ready and the start made for the north. 



The hot, dry weather made the long trip through 

 Colorado and Idaho anything but pleasant. At 

 Montpelier the train stopped half an hour for break- 

 fast, and was just too late to allow the passengers to 

 witness a bear-hunt in the heart of the town. A 

 large female grizzly, with a cub, had come to town 

 and walked leisurely through the streets. The whole 

 population turned out, and for her boldness and con- 

 tempt the bear lost her life, while the cub was made 

 prisoner, and when the train arrived was showing its 

 viciousness and strength by whipping the best dog 

 in town. 



The train sped on over the sage-brush country. 

 Indians were to be seen standing at the stations 

 watching the iron horse which had invaded their do- 

 main. Finally the region of sage-brush disappeared, 

 and as Pendleton was approached the whole country 

 took on the appearance of a vast wheat-field. Trees, 

 water, houses, and barns were seen, and civilisation 

 seemed to have been reached once more. 



Spokane was the end of their railroad journey, and 

 here tents were put up, bath-houses and barber-shops 

 invaded, and a day of rest on Sunday made the travel- 

 lers feel once more civilised. Monday and Tuesday 

 were spent buying eight or ten horses. After with- 

 standing the wiles of the dealers, who apparently 

 made their living by cheating "tenderfeet," a good 



