Memories of a Bear Hunter 



perature was perfectly mild. About midday my 

 riding mare Kate slipped on the ice, falling with 

 her full weight on my right foot, clothed only in 

 a buffalo moccasin. This would have been a seri- 

 ous matter at any time, but was especially so in the 

 midst of winter, when seventy-five miles from a 

 surgeon or even from a shelter from its storms. 

 The mare was not injured, and as there was no 

 alternative, I rode her for the rest of the day to 

 the old agency, conscious that my foot was be- 

 coming very much inflamed. As soon as I reached 

 there the foot was placed in a tub of snow water, 

 and everything done to keep down the inflamma- 

 tion. The keeper of the old agency was a Mohawk 

 Indian named Milo. He had drifted West and 

 married a Crow woman and settled down at the 

 original Crow Agency, determined to enter it as a 

 homestead as soon as the Indian title had been ex- 

 tinguished. His wife was a deaf mute, the only 

 one of the red race that I have ever heard of. 60 

 She was evidently quick-witted, an accomplished 

 sign talker, and the most skillful pantomimist I 

 have ever seen. 



My accident necessitated a change of plan. It 

 was arranged that Milligan should take back with 

 him to his ranch three of my horses and keep them 

 for the winter. All my camp baggage was to be 



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