102 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

 Hunting Elk and Deer in Wheeler and Garfield Counties. 



I am unable to tell positively just when the events oc- 

 curred that are related in this article. It was about the 

 middle of the seventies, probably in 1876 or 1877. 



Some time in the early fall, probably in September, 

 Mr. George Clother, proprietor of the Clother House of 

 Columbus, Neb., asked me to bring in a load of game to 

 Columbus for sale, stating that he would buy for his hotel 

 the hind quarters of an elk, or if elk could not be had, he 

 would take a deer, but elk was preferred. He said also he 

 thought there would be no difficulty in selling a load of 

 game, and that he would help to find a market for it. I had 

 never hunted for profit, but only for recreation and to sup- 

 ply the table with meat. We were too poor to afford a 

 beef animal, if we wanted a change in diet from fat pork; 

 and besides pork was too scarce to be had at all times of the 

 year, so that sometimes we were out of meat unless game 

 could be had. These statements will apply with equal force 

 to every family in the neighborhood as well as to my own. 

 It was agreed with Mr. Clother that the elk meat should 

 be furnished when the weather got cold, either in Novem- 

 ber or December, provided it could be had ,and if not, then 

 he surely might expect a good fat deer. 



That fall was favorable for husking corn, and it was 

 all gathered early, so that by the latter part of November 

 we were ready to start out upon the hunt. Hank was the 

 only one who went with me, as this trip was meant to be 

 one of profit, and it was not desirable to make a division 

 of the proceeds among too many partners. Hank was a 

 neighbor whose homestead was just a half a mile from my 

 own. It was arranged that during this trip his stock should 



