276 HUNTING TRIPS 



tails vividly outlined against the light be- 

 hind them. All in the valley was yet dark 

 when we reached the place where the creek 

 began to split up and branch out into the 

 various arms and ravines from which it 

 headed. We galloped smartly over the di- 

 vide into a set of coulies and valleys which 

 ran into a different creek, and selected a 

 grassy place where there was good feed to 

 leave the horses. My companion picketed 

 his ; Manitou needed no picketing. 



The tops of the hills were growing rosy, 

 but the sun was not yet above the horizon 

 when we started off, with our rifles on our 

 shoulders, walking in cautious silence, for we 

 were in good ground and might at any mo- 

 ment see a deer. Above us was a plateau of 

 some size, breaking off sharply at the rim 

 into a surrounding stretch of very rough and 

 rugged country. It sent off low spurs with 

 notched crests into the valleys round about, 

 and its edges were indented with steep ra- 

 vines and half-circular basins, their sides cov- 

 ered with clusters of gnarled and wind- 



