THIRTY YEARS A HEKTEB. 153 



the settlement, still under the impression that the 

 inhabitants had concealed them. The next day I 

 went to Smethport, and there found a man who said 

 there were people enough in the vicinity that would 

 hide my dogs, I hired him to assist me in my search, 

 but of course we were unsuccessful. I remained at 

 Smethport that night, and the next day returned to 

 the camp, but found no one there except the dogs 

 that 1 had lost. I knew then that the wolves had 

 frightened the dogs from the elk. In the evening 

 the re&t of the party came in from hunting. I found 

 that during our absence Morrison had killed three 

 deer, and Whitcomb had caught ten sables ; Camp- 

 bell and Seaman had also each killed a deer since 

 they arrived. I inquired why they did not go elk 

 hunting, as they had all the dogs with them ? Seaman 

 replied that if the dogs had stopped twenty elk, they 

 could not have caught one, for none but me could 

 rope one. I said that perhaps they could and per- 

 haps not, but it might be that I could not do so 

 myself. I told them that they must prepare for 

 another campaign. The next day I remained at the 

 camp to bake bread, and the rest hunted. I baked 

 it in the ashes, and having good success, finished by 

 two o'clock. Then I took my gun and went about a 

 mile and a half, and came to the tracks of seven "deer. 

 I followed them half a mile and found the deer lying 

 in a thicket. I got upon a log to see them, when a 

 'arge doe jumped up. I fired and broke her shoulder 

 blade. She ran, her fawn after her ; and by the time 

 I had loaded my gun and was prepared to follow. 



