Hunting the Grisly 101 



honest old fellow, and a very skilful hunter; 

 but he was worn out with age and rheuma- 

 tism, and his temper had failed even faster 

 than his bodily strength. He showed me a 

 greater variety of game than I had ever seen 

 before in so short a time; nor did I ever be- 

 fore or after make so successful a hunt. But 

 he was an exceedingly disagreeable companion 

 on account of his surly, moody ways. I gen- 

 erally had to get up first, to kindle the fire 

 and make ready breakfast, and he was very 

 quarrelsome. Finally, during my absence 

 from camp one day, while not very far from 

 Red Rofck Pass, he found my whiskey-flask, 

 which I kept purely for emergencies, and 

 drank all the contents. When I came back 

 he was quite drunk. This was unbearable, 

 and after some high words I left him, and 

 struck off homeward through the woods on 

 my own account. We had with us four pack 

 and saddle horses; and of these I took a very 

 intelligent and gentle little bronco mare, 

 which possessed the invaluable trait of al- 

 ways staying near camp, even when not hob- 

 bled. I was not hampered with much of an 

 outfit, having only my buffalo sleeping-bag, 

 a fur coat, and my washing kit, with a couple 

 of spare pairs of socks and some handker- 



