I 3 8 HUNTING TRIPS 



which a few years ago troops had been 

 stationed to guard against Indian out- 

 breaks. Having taken care of the beef 

 herd, I determined to visit a little bunch 

 of cattle which was some thirty-five miles 

 down the river, under the care of one of 

 my men a grizzled old fellow, born in 

 Maine, whose career had been varied to an 

 extent only possible in America, he having 

 successively followed the occupations of 

 seaman, druggist, clerk, buffalo hunter, and 

 cowboy. 



I intended to start about noon, but there 

 was so much business to settle that it was 

 an hour and a half afterwards before I put 

 spurs to the smart little cow-pony and loped 

 briskly down the valley. It was a sharp 

 day, the mercury well down towards zero ; 

 and the pony, fresh and untired, and im- 

 patient of standing in the cold, went along 

 at a good rate ; but darkness sets in so early 

 at this season that I had not gone many 

 miles before I began to fear that I would 

 not reach the shack by nightfall. The well- 



