Memories of a Bear Hunter 



always acceptable at the post. As the weather was 

 dry and the temperature agreeable the time passed 

 very quickly. 



During the autumn the gold excitement in the 

 Black Hills brought down from up the river a num- 

 ber of miners on the way to the Hills. From one 

 of these I purchased a black, bald-faced horse, 

 Charlie, with saddle and bridle, while from an- 

 other I secured a pack mule with a complete outfit 

 for packing. I was now independent, and could 

 go anywhere. 



During my stay at Cow Island, two boats came 

 up the river, the Durfee and the Benton. On one 

 of these was Lieut. Schofield, of the Second Cav- 

 alry, with a number of recruits. 



It was unsafe to make the trip to Benton alone, 

 and for some time I had been awaiting some com- 

 pany, and this was my chance. Lieut. Schofield 

 needed a pack animal, which I had, and which car- 

 ried a part of our things. A good man was em- 

 ployed as packer and cook, and on the 28th of 

 September we pulled out from Cow Island. On 

 the second evening we camped at the foot of the 

 Bear Paw Mountains. I had gone ahead and 

 killed a buffalo, which furnished food for the fifty 

 souls of the outfit until Fort Benton was reached 

 on the 3d of October. 



33 



