TRAMP OVER THE MOUNTAINS. 213 



Next day Armstrong's ranch was reached in a 

 blinding snow-storm. An abundance of grass gave 

 the horses good food and they were turned loose 

 to shift for themselves. The first day was spent in 

 building a tent made of poles and spruce boughs, 

 called in that country a rancheree. A few days were 

 now spent in prospecting in every direction. Many 

 deer were seen daily near the rancheree, but there 

 were no signs of caribou. Each night Armstrong 

 came over from his ranch, about a hundred yards 

 away, and the mountaineers told stories of their life 

 while Dyche cleaned and prepared his specimens. 



The Pathfinder now began to show great signs of 

 uneasiness. He had been told that there was plenty of 

 big game in these woods, including caribou, but he 

 had so far failed to find anything but a number of 

 deer, which were too common to shoot. He felt that 

 something must be done, and one evening, after sit- 

 ting brooding awhile over the fire, he stretched him- 

 self, yawned, and then said : 



" I'm going to find caribou or be satisfied there's 

 none in the country. To-morrow I'll leave you for 

 that big mountain over there, and I'll see what's be- 

 come of all the animals of this neck of the woods." 



" How will you go?" asked Dyche, who at once be- 

 came interested in the new turn which things were 

 taking. 



" Walk," was the laconic answer. 



"I'm with you." So it was settled that a long 

 tramp of thirty or forty miles should be taken over 

 the snow-covered mountains, and preparations were 

 at once begun. Two pair of blankets with pro- 



