NORTHERN GAME TRAILS 359 



best one we ebber see. I no think we make it ; too 

 long climb, too rough, long time dark we get 

 back to camp." Then he added, "You tell me 

 all right, we try it." Anything to break that 

 monotonous cold watching and get a little 

 warmth in my skin. 



Accordingly we started; the stalk resolved it- 

 self into a long, dangerous and rapid descent to 

 the valley; then a most arduous climb up the 

 equally steep opposite mountain. With the skill 

 and ease of a goat Mac was scaling the steep 

 heights while I never could seem to quite close 

 the little gap between us. Nearly spent, I was 

 just cresting the last twenty feet that would 

 bring me on top when I noticed Mac's signal to 

 hurry. For an hour I had longed for that mo- 

 ment when I would reach the top, and thought 

 how sweet that rest would be; but now it was 

 plain there was to be no resting. 



At last reaching more level ground, we ran in 

 a stooping position behind a fringe of rocks, 

 making a long semi-circle, then stopped. Pres- 

 ently over the ridge, and only a few yards away 

 came a damp, twitching nose, and the wide search- 

 ing eyes of a cow. I showed a little more cap 

 over the friendly rock, and with a stamp and a 

 snort the big bull that had been feeding a hundred 



