STAMPEDE OF THE HORSES. 183 



madly up the valley, after the bush to which the one was picketed had been 

 torn from the ground. It required but a moment to thrust back the tar- 

 paulin, slip on my boots and start in pursuit. The night was exceedingly 

 dark, however, and in the depths of the carton I could scarcely detect the 

 nearest object From the sudden manner in which they had become 

 frightened, I knew that it had been caused by the approach of some wild 

 animal, most likely a mountain lion, since these animals were very abun- 

 dant in that region. As I hastened up the narrow defile in pursuit of the 

 fleeing horses, I knew, by the sound of their iron shoes as they struck 

 against the rocky bottom and reechoed ever more faintly from the sides of the 

 carton walls, that they were rapidly distancing me. Still I kept doggedly 

 on, for the thought of being thus left afoot was not a comforting one, and, 

 aside from the loss of the horses, which, considering our remote position, 

 would have proved a serious inconvenience, in addition it would involve 

 the necessity of my traversing on foot the seventy-five miles which lay 

 between me and our permanent camp. Owing to the darkness I had to 

 rely more upon my ears than my eyes. The situation, however, presented 

 one comforting phase. The inaccessible nature of the caflon precluded the 

 possibility of their escaping from it, at least for several miles. Continuing 

 my course, as I rounded a sharp turn, I again caught the sound of their 

 footsteps. Stopping for a moment to listen, although owing to the dark- 

 ness I could see nothing of them, from the nature and direction from which 

 the sound came, I knew that they had ceased running and like myself had 

 stopped to reconnoitre. I also knew that in their thoroughly frightened 

 condition nothing but extreme caution on my part would enable me to 

 approach them, without causing a second and perhaps more disastrous 

 stampede. By careful manoeuvring, however, I succeeded in making them 

 aware of my presence, after which, much to the evident delight of both the 

 parties concerned, and which they on their part showed by a succession of 

 friendly whinnies, I had no difficulty whatever in catching and returning 

 with them to my temporary camp. 



The weather conditions throughout most of this trip in these cartons 

 were all that could be desired. It was my custom to arise with the break 

 of day, and, after a hastily prepared breakfast and a cup of coffee, set out 

 about my work of examining the rocks of the surrounding cartons, making 

 such notes and taking such photographs as seemed to be desirable. 

 Sometimes I would be engaged in collecting sufficient fossils to deter- 



