Hunting at High Altitudes 



up and moved camp to Willow Creek, where there 

 was very little wood. At 6 o'clock the thermometer 

 was 5 degrees below zero. We slept on the snow 

 without putting up a tent, and went to bed early 

 to save firewood. The next day it was warmer, 

 20 degrees above zero at sunrise, and there was 

 every sign of a hard storm. We determined to go 

 to Highwood Creek without delay and reached 

 Mr. Hackshaw's ranch by dark. A few miles 

 from the base of the mountains the snow was 

 almost all gone, except what had fallen a few days 

 since. It was reported from Benton that Tilden 

 had been elected President, which greatly rejoiced 

 me. 



After a few days at the ranch, I asked Mr. 

 Hackshaw to take me to Fort Benton, and we set 

 out on the i8th of November. In the town I 

 found the result of the recent election still in doubt, 

 and the Democrats very much wrought up over the 

 belief that the opposition was determined to hold 

 the control of the Government at any cost. So 

 strong was the feeling that Colonel Donelly wrote 

 to a prominent Civil War comrade, now residing 

 in Illinois, that Montana was prepared to furnish 

 a regiment of men to assist in seating Tilden. 



At that time Fort Benton was remarkable as 

 being the most orderly place in the Territory, per- 



38 



