THIETY YEABS A HUNTEE 115 



went d o wn the creek to where a branch came in 

 and found there some old elk tracks, which I fol- 

 lowed until it was so late that I could not return 

 to the camp that night. I encamped on the elk- 

 track, and spent the most dismal night that I ever 

 experienced. The wolves flocked around me in 

 droves, and their unearthly howling, mingled with 

 -ae dismal screeching of the owls overhead made a 

 concert of sounds that banished sleep from my 

 eves the greater part of the night. I sat in my 

 shanty, with my gun in one hand, a tomahawk in 

 the other, and a knife by my side. When the 

 wolves became unusually uproarous, I would send 

 the dog out to drive them away, and if they drove 

 him in, I would fire in among them. At length. 

 toward morning, I fell asleep from 6heer exhaustion, 

 and slept until daylight, when I arose, ate my break- 

 tast, and started again on the elk-track. About four 

 miles from where I had slept I arrived at a creek 

 running southwest and emptying into Pine Creek at 

 a point about five miles below the Lick. The elk 

 had ascended the creek, and thinking it would not 

 be best to follow I descended the stream to its junc- 

 tion with Pine Creek. When I arrived at the mouth 

 I found the others there making a canoe, and the 

 sight of a human countenance was a welcome one to 

 me, with the horrors of the previous night still fresh 

 in my mind. As I approached them I concealed 

 myself and imitated the howl of a wolf. After the 

 lessons of the previous night, I made a very success- 

 ful imitation, and thought I would try my powers by 



