204 CAMP-FIRES IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 



many things in the late Wild West. Of Charlie Smith, 

 I have already written. The stories he told us of " the 

 Bush River country," and of the wilds of Oregon and 

 Washington, to say nothing of the Elk River region, 

 would make a fascinating book. 



Mack and John Norboe, of Norwegian parentage, 

 were born on the plains of Texas, grew up as buffalo- 

 hunters, cowboys and Indian fighters, and finally " set- 

 tled down " as guides and trappers. Both participated 

 in the mad and reckless buffalo slaughter of the early 

 seventies, and killed buffaloes of which they cannot now 

 be induced to tell. In the days of Apache and Comanche 

 Indian troubles, when the murder of settlers' families 

 often called for punitive expeditions gathered on short 

 notice, they rode and fought Indians with other white 

 men who believed in the survival of the fittest. Later 

 on, Mack became foreman of a large cattle-ranch, after 

 which he fell in with Charlie Smith, and settled down 

 permanently as his partner. For six years or more they 

 have guided, trapped and hunted together, drawing in 

 John Norboe as a special partner whenever circum- 

 stances tempted him to come in. 



As a talker, Mack is more reserved than Charlie and 

 John, and rarely relates a long story, especially when it 

 is possible to put that labor upon his partner. He is a 

 bold and successful hunter, and a hardy mountaineer, 

 but on dangerous rocks, his nerves are not quite so cold 

 as those of his partners. When he is afraid, he does not 

 hesitate to say so; which many a pretty gentleman finds 

 it very hard to do. 



