94 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



and then came the time for old Major to go it alone 

 and show his worth. We converted the Missouri 

 into a canal, and its northern bank into a towpath. 

 Old Major we hitched to a line attached to the 

 scow; and while a couple of mountain men whom 

 we had in camp kept the boat away from the shore 

 with long poles, I rode the big horse, often right 

 into the river, until he began to sink in a mud bank, 

 and I had to turn hastily back to shore. The Pro- 

 fessor and Mr. Isaac had the worst places, for they 

 had to keep the rope from being caught by a snag 

 or rock; and when it did catch, if they did not in- 

 stantly loose their hold upon it, the tension threw 

 them far over into the river, and they had to get out 

 as best they could, This occurred a number of times- 



When about sundown we hove-to under the big 

 steamer, the deck was crowded with passengers 

 watching our approach. Cope was covered with 

 mud from head to foot, and his clothing, with 

 hardly a seam whole, hung from him in wet, dirty 

 rags. He had forgotten to bring along any winter 

 wearing apparel, so, although the nights were quite 

 cold, and the women were clad in fur coats and the 

 men in ulsters, he emerged from the sergeant's tent, 

 whither he had carried his grip, in a summer suit 

 and linen duster. 



He told me about a funny experience that he had 

 on the boat on the way down the river. It goes 



