182 FAMILIARITY OF WAPITI-DEER. 



numerous bleached bones lay around. The after- 

 noon, which had been a little hazy, cleared up at 

 sunset ; and, to my great delight, a hill, such as 

 my guide had described, was distinctly visible two 

 or more miles to the north. Twice during the night 

 I was awakened by the uneasiness of our cattle ; 

 but, after listening intently, I could hear nothing 

 but the distant baying of some wolves, interrupted 

 by the still more distant howl of what I believed 

 to be a wolverine. 



In the morning at daybreak we found ourselves 

 positive] y surrounded by wapiti-deer, whose perfect 

 tameness allowed us frequently to approach within 

 fifty yards of them, before they evinced any in- 

 clination to move off. ( The old man/ as usual, 

 moralised on this fact as bearing on our own 

 prospects. 



With rather a crest-fallen countenance, he 

 asserted that these animals never would be so 

 familiar if there were a lot of white men within a 

 few miles of them ; and, therefore, the persons he 

 sought were gone. The Indians, perhaps, had 

 turned upon them, and taken their scalp-locks. 



Our nervous systems being worked up to the 

 greatest amount of tension through the constant 

 alternations of hope, doubt, and fear, caused by 

 these surmises, our minds derived some relief from 

 the appearance of smoke Vhich, at first, was re- 

 garded as a favourable indication ; but, on second 

 consideration, was taken as a providential hint that 



