292 Hunting Trips on the Prairie 



The profile of a ridge across which several trails 

 led had rather a curious look when seen against the 

 sky. 



Game was scarce on this broken plains country, 

 where the water supply was very scanty, and where 

 the dull brown grass that grew on the parched, sun- 

 cracked ground had been already cropped close; 

 still we found enough to keep us in fresh meat ; and 

 though no buffalo were seen, the trip was a pleasant 

 one. There was a certain charm in the very vast- 

 ness and the lonely, melancholy desolation of the 

 land over which every day we galloped far and wide 

 from dawn till nightfall; while the heavy canvas- 

 covered wagon lumbered slowly along to the ap- 

 pointed halting-place. On such a trip one soon gets 

 to feel that the wagon is home; and after a tire- 

 some day it is pleasant just to lie still in the twilight 

 by the side of the smouldering fire and watch the 

 men as they busy themselves cooking or arranging 

 the beds, while the solemn old ponies graze around 

 or stand quietly by the great white-topped prairie 

 schooner. 



The blankets and rubbers being arranged in a 

 carefully chosen spot to leeward of the wagon, we 

 were not often bothered at night, even by quite 

 heavy rainfalls; but once or twice, when in pecu- 

 liarly exposed places, we were struck by such furi- 

 ous gusts of wind and rain that we were forced to 

 gather up our bedding and hastily scramble into 

 the wagon, where we would at least be dry, even 

 though in pretty cramped quarters. 



