HUNTING AND PROSPECTING 407 



outlined against the blue sky. For a second he 

 was immovable as the rock he was climbing. My 

 bullet passed directly through his heart and his 

 clear, perpendicular fall was over a hundred feet. 

 We returned to the Mesa, sent Mackenzie and 

 Tim to take care of the meat and mounting our 

 ponies started for our camp. My rifle had failed 

 me once and I lashed it to the saddle, announcing 

 that for the rest of that day I would hunt with 

 the camera. 



After riding a mile our broncos became un- 

 manageable and refused to enter a thicket which 

 we desired to penetrate. After a struggle we 

 surrendered, and Ned tied his horse, Gambler, 

 to a tree. Gambler had earned his name through 

 his willingness to take chances. Bay Billy could 

 be relied upon not to desert his companion. We 

 entered the thicket on foot and began to under- 

 stand the shyness of our animals. The tracks of 

 grizzlies abounded and many square yards of 

 earth had been torn up by their powerful claws. 

 Ned and I separated the better to explore the 

 woods and agreed to meet by our ponies in two 



