86 IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. 



had not been watered, so to speaK and went on our way 

 rejoicing. 



During the afternoon of September 6th we toiled up through 

 canyons and over divides and ridges, still climbing higher 

 and higher, until the atmosphere became so rare that neither 

 we nor our animals could walk more than a few rods at a time 

 without stopping to rest. We walked and led our saddle 

 animals nearly all the afternoon, owing to this fact and the 

 extremely difficult nature of the trails over which we were 

 passing. At about four o'clock we reached an open park on 

 the top of one of the highest ridges in that part of the range, 

 and finding there a good, heavy growth of grass which, 

 fortunately, had not been burned, we decided to make our 

 camp there. There was no water near, but the snow, which 

 covered the ground to a depth of six inches, furnished a very 

 good substitute. 



We found an abundance of dry pine-knots and whole 

 trunks of fallen pine-trees on the rocks near us, and in a few 

 minutes had a roaring fire, and our wet blankets hanging all 

 around it. We didn't care to take a cold bath in them that 

 night, and so watched and turned them attentively all the 

 evening, until they were thoroughly dry. Our animals ate 

 snow to quench their thirst, and then pawed the snow away so 

 that they could get at the grass. They had all seen plenty Of 

 this kind of life in years past, and so lost no time in looking 

 for better fare, but went vigorously to work, and before dark 

 their protruding sides showed that they were in tall clover. 



We melted snow to do our cooking with, and for water to 

 drink. Our position gave us a fine view of the surrounding 

 country. We could trace the route over which we had 

 traveled for several days past through the warm, green valley 

 of the Little Big Horn, across the broad divide and far down 

 the now beautiful valley of the Rosebud ; over all of which 



