96 AN AMERICAN HUNTER 



the tree and with a stick pushed out the cat. It dropped 

 down through the branches forty or fifty feet, but was so 

 quick in starting and dodging that it actually rushed 

 through the pack, crossed the stream, and, doubling and 

 twisting, was off up the creek through the timber. It 

 ran cunning, and in a minute or two lay down under a 

 bush and watched the hounds as they went by, overrun- 

 ning its trail. Then it took off up the hillside; but the 

 hounds speedily picked up its track, and running in single 

 file, were almost on it. Then the cat turned down hill, 

 but too late, for it was overtaken within fifty yards. This 

 ended our hunting. 



One Sunday we rode down some six miles from camp 

 to a little blue school-house and attended service. The 

 preacher was in the habit of riding over every alternate 

 Sunday from Rifle, a little town twenty or twenty-five 

 miles away; and the ranchmen with their wives and chil- 

 dren, some on horseback, some in wagons, had gathered 

 from thirty miles round to attend the service. The crowd 

 was so large that the exercises had to take place in the 

 open air, and it was pleasant to look at the strong frames 

 and rugged, weather-beaten faces of the men; while as 

 for the women, one respected them even more than the 

 men. 



In spite of the snow-storms spring was coming; some 

 of the trees were beginning to bud and show green, more 

 and more flowers were in bloom, and bird life was stead- 

 ily increasing. In the bushes by the streams the hand- 

 some white-crowned sparrows and green-tailed towhees 

 were in full song, making attractive music ; although the 



