THIRTY YEARS A HUNTEK. 141 



The snow was falling rapidly, which rendered it 

 extremely difficult, and it was not until one o'clock 

 that we finally succeeded. In the meantime we 

 suffered severely from cold. At daylight the snow 

 had fallen to the depth of four feet, and it was with 

 much labor that we beat down the snow sufficiently 

 to procure wood. We were unable to reach the elk 

 which we had left out, until the second day, when 

 we dressed and brought it into the camp. We 

 remained there three days, drying our venison, and 

 tramping down the snow, but were unable to go 

 a great distance from the camp. The fourth day it 

 thawed sufficiently to settle the snow a few inches, 

 and we left our camp, and after toiling through the 

 snow all day, encamped at night seven miles from 

 our starting-place. The following day we traveled 

 nine miles farther, reaching our old camp. We re- 

 mained here three days, waiting for a thaw. I told 

 the others that I thought we might find two or three 

 large elk near where we had started the small ones. 

 Silverheels and Gibson objected to the idea of going 

 after them in the snow, but Hook consented to go 

 with me. The following day we went four miles, 

 and found the tracks of three large elk, which had 

 passed the day before. We followed them half a 

 mile, and found them on the side of a hill, eating 

 moss. They were large, noble animals, and each 

 one would have been worth five hundred dollars if 

 we could have taken them. We thought it best not 

 to attempt this, without the rest of the party and 

 the dogs, and accordingly returned without disturb- 



