HALTING TTLL SPRING COMES. 123 



his bullying and unpleasant manner, a mutiny arose 

 among his retainers, and the consequence was that 

 the majority started en masse on their own hook to 

 seek another employer, or find their way back to their 

 native State. 



My education and antecedents had been such as to 

 give me a horror of mutiny ; moreover, up to this date, 

 I had nothing to complain of, so I determined to stick 

 to the waggons, and use every effort in my power to 

 save the owner from the only alternative that ap- 

 peared left, deserting his property in the wilderness. 

 Ere long, however, I was compelled to change my 

 resolution, for no one could submit to his irascible 

 temper and constant insulting language ; so, with no 

 companions but my mare and mule, I left the camp 

 one bright morning in the month of February, with 

 the determination of returning eastward alone. The 

 step was full of danger, but I preferred running the 

 risk rather than remain to be further insulted, or seek 

 redress by recourse to weapons, too often done in this 

 lawless portion of the world. 



As the teams were being hitched up I started in the 

 reverse direction to their route, little aware of the trying 

 ordeal that was before me. My animals were in good con- 

 dition and spirits. For a week I travelled north-east, in 

 the hope of finding a suitable halting-place to remain in 

 till spring fairly commenced. At length I came upon 

 a spot which took my fancy a small table-land, well 

 sheltered from the northern wind, underneath which 

 was a valley, that the snow had partially disappeared 

 from, and where there was a fair quantity of bunch grass, 

 the most desirable food for the quadrupeds. Under a 

 projecting rock I made my camp, for the spot was so 



