326 CAMP-FIRES IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 



low us, a big valley of many slides and much green tim- 

 ber ran down, due south. Charlie said it was Wilson's 

 Creek, whereon Mr. Phillips had killed several grizzly 

 bears. 



It was a glorious country for big game; but just at 

 that moment, the sheep and deer and grizzlies happened 

 to be elsewhere. We found goats on the cliffs, and, as 

 described fully elsewhere, saw a big billy promenade 

 across the face of that awful precipice as coolly as if he 

 were cropping pulsatilla on a sky pasture. On the sum- 

 mit of the highest point trodden by us, we met an ashy- 

 mantled ground-squirrel. East of our camp, a whole 

 mountain-side was covered with huckleberry bushes 

 hanging full of ripe berries, on which we fed sumptu- 

 ously more than once. 



The night before we were to return to Camp Neces- 

 sity, it began to rain and snow, and after studying the 

 weather Charlie said, very seriously, 



" We'll find ourselves in a foot of snow at daylight 

 to-morrow! " 



" Charlie," I said, " my luck won't have it that way! 

 When I go hunting, bad weather doesn't strike until after 

 I get in." 



"Well, this time I'll back the clouds against yer 

 luck," said Charlie. 



We spent a very anxious night, but at daylight we had 

 only the same two inches of snow that we had at sunset. 

 We ate our last mouthfuls of grub, spent our last films 

 in trying to photograph Lake Josephine, and then set 

 out or I should say set down for Camp Necessity. 



