BACK TO THE BUFFALO RANGE 



Tom calculated that about four months' rations 

 for three men ought to be enough to carry us from 

 the middle of October to the middle of February, 

 and he told me to make my requisition for four 

 hundred rations of each article and set down the 

 number of pounds' weight of each as I went 

 along. 



"Of breadstufFs," he said, "we ought to take 

 about three fourths flour — three hundred pounds 

 — and one fourth hardtack — one hundred pounds. 

 That'll make four hundred pounds of freight. 

 Then, as an extra, a sack of corn-meal — fifty 

 pounds. 



"As we'll be able to kill plenty of wild meat, 

 two hundred rations of bacon will be enough. At 

 three fourths of a pound to the ration, that will 

 be one hundred and fifty pounds." 



So he went through the list of beans, rice, hom- 

 iny, coffee, tea, and sugar, with vinegar, salt, pep- 

 per, yeast-powder, together with two hundred 

 pounds of potatoes and one hundred pounds of 

 onions. With some dried fruit and soap the total 

 weight came to one thousand five hundred and 

 forty-one pounds, to which he added one thousand 

 pounds of corn, as feed for the animals during the 

 worst weather. He purposed to take also a scythe 

 and hay-fork and, as soon as we got into camp, 

 to cut hay and make a stack as added provision 

 against bad weather. These things, together with 

 all the camp equipment to be carried, would 



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