140 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



submit to his irascible temper and constant insulting lan- 

 guage ; 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 por- 

 tion of the world. 



As the teams were being hitched up I started in the re- 

 verse direction to their route, little aware of the trying or- 

 deal that was before me. My animals were in good condi- 

 tion arid spirits. For a week I traveled 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 inclosed that I hoped the 

 lighting of a fire would not attract attention. Weeks roll- 

 ed by, and the mare and mule lost little of their condition, 

 although the weather was frequently pinching cold. The 

 canons in the neighborhood supplied me with abundance 

 of game, and each day I expected that a break in the 

 weather w r ould justify a start for the Eastern settlements. 

 Of course one day was only in outline a repetition of the 

 other, but how widely different in detail ! In the morning 

 the horses were taken to the bottom, breakfast was cooked, 

 the enjoyable pipe lighted, and the direction settled in which 

 I would hunt, returning earlier or later, according to success. 

 The afternoon would pass mending moccasins or clothes, 

 cleaning arms or arranging camp, procuring fire-wood, till 

 it was time to hunt up the nags, which being accomplished, 



