230 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



thing must be done soon if a specimen of a calf was to 

 be secured. Finally it was determined to move camp 

 to the other end of the lake. They were just ready 

 to proceed, when the horses took it into their heads 

 to add to the troubles which had followed the party 

 ever since they had come into the country. The 

 load had been securely packed and then tied down 

 in order to keep it in place on the wagon. Just as 

 they were ready to start the horses made a bolt and 

 were off towards Loughridge's ranch at full speed. 

 Dyche and Brown ran after them for a few hundred 

 yards and then gave up the chase and proceeded slowly 

 on the broad trail left by the bounding wagon. The 

 outfit was soon out of sight and the naturalists fol- 

 lowed at a fast walk, wondering what would be left 

 by the time the horses had finished their escapade. 



The trail was almost lost, when a horse- blanket ly- 

 ing in the swamp showed them the way, and then 

 they found a ham. With a blanket and a ham they 

 could at least sleep and eat, so with this grain of con- 

 solation they continued the chase. Here the wagon 

 had struck a root and there it had almost turned 

 over. A piece of the tail-gate was found and then a 

 broken bit of the wagon-box stood up in the swamp. 

 Here lay the lid of the " chuck-box " and there the 

 top of the cracker-box. Hurrying on, they finally 

 came in sight of Loughridge's ranch, and there, 

 standing at the corral fence, were the runaways, ap- 

 parently asleep. Old Buck had been warranted as 

 one of the gentlest horses in the country, but his gen- 

 tleness was laziness, and it turned out that he would 

 run away at every opportunity. 



