Mountain Game 137 



many like them, each has had its own charm. Of 

 course in hunting one must expect much hardship 

 and repeated disappointment; and in many a camp, 

 bad weather, lack of shelter, hunger, thirst, or ill 

 success with game, renders the days and nights irk- 

 some and trying. Yet the hunter worthy of the 

 name always willingly takes the bitter if by so doing 

 he can get the sweet, and gladly balances failure and 

 success, spurning the poorer souls who know neither. 



We turned our horses loose, hobbling one; and as 

 we did not look after them for several days, nothing 

 but my companion's skill as a tracker enabled us to 

 find them again. There was a spell of warm weather 

 which brought out a few of the big bull-dog flies, 

 which drive a horse or indeed a man nearly fran- 

 tic ; we were in the haunts of these dreaded and 

 terrible scourges, which up to the beginning of 

 August render it impossible to keep stock of any 

 description unprotected where they abound, but 

 which are never formidable after the first frost. In 

 many parts of the wilderness these pests, or else the 

 incredible swarms of mosquitoes, blackflies, and buf- 

 falo gnats, render life not worth living during the 

 last weeks of spring and the early months of sum- 

 mer. 



There were elk and deer in the neighborhood; 

 also ruffed, blue, and spruce grouse; so that our 

 camp was soon stocked with meat. Early one morn- 

 ing while Willis was washing in the brook, a little 



