26 HUNTING TRIPS 



trophies of our own skill, with which to bid 

 defiance to the bitter cold of winter. In 

 summer time we are not much within doors, 

 for we rise before dawn and work hard" 

 enough to be willing to go to bed soon after 

 nightfall. The long winter evenings are 

 spent sitting round the hearthstone, while 

 the pine logs roar and crackle, and the men 

 play checkers or chess, in the fire light. The 

 rifles stand in the corners of the room or rest 

 across the elk antlers which jut out from over 

 the fireplace. From the deer horns ranged 

 along the walls and thrust into the beams 

 and rafters hang heavy overcoats of wolf- 

 skin or coon-skin, and otter-fur or beaver- 

 fur caps and gauntlets. Rough board shelves 

 hold a number of books, without which some 

 of the evenings would be long indeed. No 

 ranchman who loves sport can afford to be 

 without Van Dyke's " Still Hunter/' Dodge's 

 "Plains of the Great West," or Caton's 

 " Deer and Antelope of America " ; and 

 Coues' " Birds of the Northwest " will be 

 valued if he cares at all for natural history. 



