DANGEROUS FAMILY. 25 



excrescence projecting from one side, about one-third 

 of the way from its summit. I did not see it marked 

 in my map, which from its size, and the ignorance 

 that exists in reference to this locality, was neces- 

 sarily very imperfect. At some future period it 

 doubtless will be well known, for it is remarkably 

 steep, while its outline is peculiar. Judging as well 

 as I could from the distance at which I was from 

 it, my impression is that it was one mass of stone. 



After turning the animals loose to feed, I as- 

 cended a bluff which overtopped my resting-place, to 

 obtain a survey in the direction I wished to proceed. 

 The view to the east was extensive, and the appear- 

 ance of the country promising, encouraging me to 

 hope that my intention to reach the upper waters of 

 the Missouri, or some of its tributaries, might yet 

 turn out successful. 



While enjoying my anticipations of once more 

 setting my feet upon the plains beneath me, I ob- 

 served an animal, reduced by distance to the size of 

 a puppy about two weeks old. When it first caught 

 my attention it was in motion, but soon came to 

 a halt. Surmising it to be a young bear, I made 

 my way down to within fifty yards of where I 

 had marked it, having carefully kept a large rock 

 between me and the object of my stalk. On 

 peering out from my ambush I was amazed to find 

 that it had disappeared, but an opening in the rock 

 close by suggested to me the idea that there was a 

 cave somewhere, into which the youngster had 



