EARLY DAY STORIES. 143 



antelope on the open plains, and surely there would be sharp- 

 tail grouse and rabbits, even if no larger game should be 

 met with. 



Charley decided, against my advice and over my pro- 

 tests, to take his double barrel shot gun instead of borrow- 

 ing a rifle for the trip. He was an expect at hunting prairie 

 chicken and ducks, but had never used a rifle, nor had he 

 ever seen a wild deer. He believed that in the rough coun- 

 try through which we were to go he could do better work 

 with his shot gun and buck shot, should deer be found, 

 than he could with a rifle. The result proved that he was 

 mistaken. 



It was not the intention to take along a tent, or to be 

 encumbered with any unnecessary luggage of any kind. We 

 were going to have a good time roughing it. From home 

 our luggage consisted of two compact bundles, containing 

 our blankets, a coffee pot, an eight quart tin pail with cover, 

 two frying pans, two tin cups, two knives and forks and 

 spoons, a hatchet, a butcher knife, a tin pan, a wash basin, 

 some tin plates, and also such articles as towels, soap, and 

 changes of socks and underwear. These packages did not 

 weigh more than sixty pounds each. Our provisions we 

 would buy at whatever place we were to leave the railroad, 

 and it was estimated that the entire outfit when ready to 

 pack upon the pony would weigh considerably less than two 

 hundred pounds. The guns and our belts filled with cart- 

 ridges were carried in our hands or on our persons, as were 

 also combs, tooth brushes and matches. Of course our packs 

 contained also a necessary supply of spare ammunition as 

 well as two or three packages of Charley's smoking tobacco. 

 I carried also a very excellent pocket compass, a field glass 

 and a large pocket knife. It should also be stated that we 

 had with us needles, thread, buttons, safety pins, buckskin 

 strings and perhaps some other small articles not now re- 

 called to mind. It was found out after we were away from 



