176 ON THE FRONTIER. 



too, while living day and night in the open air a keen, 

 bracing, appetising mountain air he accumulates a most 

 voracious appetite. Certainly no men ever enjoyed venison 

 more than we enjoyed our first meal off that deer. 



Next day more good luck still. The absent stock came 

 into view, walking leisurely up the valley. Like the game, 

 they were coming back to their accustomed haunts, and 

 possibly to look for their old companions. There was plenty 

 of feed for them close to camp, the snow, which had never 

 been deep along the centre of the valley, on account of the 

 wind's full sweep down it, having been entirely melted on 

 large patches of ground by the preceding eight days' sun- 

 shine ; and so, catching and tying up one of the animals to 

 be sure of a mount, we allowed the rest to remain grazing 

 at liberty, the " hitched " animal being changed every four 

 hours during the day-time, and a different one tied up each 

 night, so that all of the stock should have an equal chance 

 to feed. 



