ON THE PRAlk 235 



the mountains; but they were apt to wan- 

 der very far during the night, for there were 

 so many bears and other wild beasts around 

 that they kept getting frightened and run- 

 ning off. We were very loath to leave our 

 hunting grounds, but time was pressing, and 

 we had already many more trophies thai 

 could carry ; so one cool morning when the 

 branches of the evergreens were laden with 

 the feathery snow that had fallen overnight, 

 we struck camp and started out of the moun- 

 tains, each of us taking his own bedding 

 behind his saddle, while the pack-ponies were 

 loaded down with bearskins, elk and deer 

 antlers, and the hides and furs of other game. 

 In single file we moved through the woods, 

 and across the canyons to the edge of the 

 great table-land, and then slowly down die 

 steep slope to its foot, where we found our 

 canvas-topped wagon ; and next day saw us 

 setting out on our long journey homewards, 

 across the three hundred weary miles of tree- 

 less and barren-looking plains country. 

 Last spring, since the above was written, 



