SPORTING ADVENTURES 



IN 



THE E^Pt WEST. 



CHAPTER I. 



HINTS TO SPORTSMEN. 



Hints to Sportsmen. — Best Game Regions of the United States. — Pro- 

 fusion of Animal Life. — Advantages of the Far West as a Hunting- 

 ground. — Best Quarters. — Inconveniences of Farm-houses for Large 

 Parties. — Character of Guides. — Resent all Assumption of Superiority 

 on Account of Title or Wealth. — Anecdote of their Independence of 

 Character. — Action and Reaction. — How to select Guides. — The Best 

 Animals for Hunting Expeditions. — Tents to be used. — How and when 

 to pitch them. — General Instructions about Camp Life. — What Foods 

 and Medicines to use. — Bedding and Clothing. — Stoves. — Fires, and 

 how to build them. — How to make a Fire without Matches. — Lamps. 

 — Best Clothing for Hunting. — Treatment of Boots. — How to prevent 

 the. Feet from Blistering. — Moccasins and Slippers. — Rubber Goods. — 

 Under-clothing. — An Antidote for Fever and Ague. — How to prevent 

 the Insect Plague. — Picketing Horses. — Necessity of Vigilance. — How 

 Sentinels should be Posted. — How to detect the Approach of Objects. 

 — Weapous should be Convenient. — Thieves. — Best Fire-arms. — Bul- 

 lets. — Breech -loading Shot-guns for Forest Shooting. — Woodcraft. — 

 Lost in the Forest. — Necessity of Observation. — Value of a Compass. 

 — How to track or trail Animals in Flight. — How to procure Water. — 

 Telling the Weight, Size, and Movements of Animals by their Tracks. 

 —Use of a Field-glass.— Qualities of a Successful Hunter.— Charac- 

 teristics of Best Nimrods. — Difference between Field and Target 

 Shooting. 



The higher order of game animals are now so scarce in 

 the United States east of the Missouri River that sports- 

 men can have little real hunting until they go far to the 

 west of that noble stream; but if they would enjoy it to 

 an unusual extent they must cross the Rocky Mountains; 



