200 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. 



master of woodcraft, who is a first-rate hand 

 at finding game, creeping upon it, and track- 

 ing it when wounded. With such a compan- 

 ion one gets much more game, and learns 

 many things by observation instead of by 

 painful experience. 



On this trip we had with us two hunters, 

 Tazewell Woody and Elwood Hofer, a packer 

 who acted as cook, and a boy to herd the 

 horses. Of the latter, there were twenty ; six 

 saddle-animals and fourteen for the packs 

 two or three being spare horses, to be used 

 later in carrying the elk-antlers, sheep-horns, 

 and other trophies. Like most hunters' pack- 

 animals, they were either half-broken, or else 

 broken down ; tough, unkempt, jaded-looking 

 beasts of every color sorrel, buckskin, pinto, 

 white, bay, roan. After the day's work was 

 over, they were turned loose to shift for them- 

 selves ; and about once a week they strayed, 

 and all hands had to spend the better part of 

 the day hunting for them. The worst ones 

 for straying, curiously enough, were three 

 broken-down old " bear-baits," which went by 

 themselves, as is generally the case with the 

 cast-off horses of a herd. There were two 

 sleeping tents, another for the provisions, 

 in which we ate during bad weather, and a 

 canvas tepee, which was put up with lodge- 

 poles, Indian fashion, like a wigwam. A 

 tepee is more difficult to put up than an ordi- 

 nary tent ; but it is very convenient when 

 there is rain or snow. A small fire kindled in 

 the middle keeps it warm, the smoke escaping 

 through the open top that is, when it escapes 

 at all ; strings are passed from one pole to 



