CHAPTER II. 



THE PARTY ORGANIZED. 



MIKE MASHED SAWYER AND HIS TONY PLAY CIRCUS SAWYER'S 

 WANDERINGS IN MID- AIR TERRA-FIRMA AT LAST A CHASE AFTER 

 SAWYER'S PONY ALLEN WANTS HIM TO "BUCK SOME MORE"- 

 . THE CAYUSE SUBMITS TO THE ARGUMENT OF CLUBS SAWYER 

 DECLINES THE HURRICANE DECK FOR THE FUTURE SUPPER ON 

 MOUNTAIN TROUT. 



WE completed our arrangements for the hunt, and start- 

 ing from Billings on Sunday evening, September 3, rode to 

 Ed Forest's ranch at Canyon creek, ten miles west of 

 Billings, and camped for the night. Our party as now 

 organized, consisted of Mr. Allen and his son Willie, of 

 Coulson ; R. J. Sawyer and M. Weise, of Menominee, Michi- 

 gan ; "Doctor" J. W. Trinler, of Coulson, our teamster, the 

 most worthless, unmitigated vagabond that ever any hunting 

 party was afflicted with, and " the undersigned." Mr. Allen 

 was mounted on a bay complexioned cayuse that had blood 

 in his eye, as we shall presently see. I had procured a tough, 

 good-natured, ambitious little black pony, and the other 

 members of the party were mounted on the wagon. 



After an hour's ride Allen offered to change seats with 

 either of the boys in the wagon. Weise eagerly accepted the 

 offer, and mounted the bay pony, which made no objection at 

 the time, but a close observer might have seen by his eye that 

 he was only awaiting an opportunity to take the conceit out of 

 that pilgrim ; and the opportunity came too soon. When we 

 reached the little settlement of Canyon Creek it was dark, 

 and a light burning in a tent at the roadside attracted the 



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