162 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



the main Powder river valley, as well as a portion of the 

 main valley itself. In the same direction there were a num- 

 ber of high buttes containing layers of colored rocks, their 

 sides being streaked with alternate layers of pink, yellow 

 and green. 



I did a good deal of exploring as well as of hunting, 

 and derived at least as much pleasure from this source as 

 from hunting for game. There were many things of in- 

 terest. Near our camp at the head of Sand creek there were 

 many veins of coal to be seen along the sides of the dry 

 water courses, varying in thickness from a few inches to 

 five feet. There was one hill of iron ore — a piece chipped 

 from the rock would attract the needle of the compass the 

 same as a magnet. There were many birds, especially in the 

 vicinity of our Salt creek camp, the most conspicuous of 

 which were magpies, whisky jacks or Canada jays, and 

 flocks of the beautiful wax wings or cedar birds. The mag- 

 pies and whisky jacks were annoying; they would pick at 

 the venison when left out for a time before bringing it to 

 camp, mutilating the hams and devouring all they could eat. 

 The whisky jacks were about the camp at all times during 

 the day, becoming very tame and picking up any scraps 

 thrown out from the table. One time some years after this 

 trip, while hunting in the Black Hills, someone in camp had 

 a bottle of whisky, carried probably for snake bites, although 

 it was November and we were camped high up in the moun- 

 tains above the range of rattlesnakes. Guy Campbell who 

 was along soaked some bread in whisky and placing it in 

 reach of the whisky jacks awaited the result. They de- 

 voured the bread eagerly, and two of them getting an over- 

 dose were able to fly with difficulty, and could scarcely sit 

 upon a limb, one of them actually turning a sommersault 

 and hanging for a time head downward. 



There were range cattle scattered about in little bands 

 all over the country, and in the vicinity of our Salt creek 



