Hunting at High Altitudes 



across that stream to the headwaters of the Grey 

 Bull. We reached Benson's Landing about May 

 20, 1882, and the crossing of Clark's Fork about 

 June 15. At different points we stopped for fresh 

 meat and for bears, but killed only one or two of 

 the latter, and met with no special adventures. 

 Clark's Fork was booming from the melting snow, 

 and there seemed no prospect of fording it for a 

 month. The only way to cross was by raft. 



With this in mind, a still place was found just 

 behind a little island, where the raft was to be 

 built. Just below the island the current hugged 

 the shore on which we then were. By using poles 

 for a short distance, the raft could easily be pushed 

 into the current. A little below this, the main 

 current crossed the stream to the other side, and 

 about 150 yards further down, the current hugged 

 that bank so closely that a man might scramble to 

 shore with a rope and hold the raft until it could 

 be secured. All these matters had to be foreseen 

 and considered before constructing the raft. The 

 weight of the outfit to be floated was fully 1,200 

 pounds, and it was therefore necessary to find the 

 required dead logs up the river, to snake them to 

 the water by the saddle horn and float them down 

 to the place where the raft was to be built. The 

 logs must then be lashed together with picket ropes, 



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