98 IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. 



At last, finding that he can't shake me off his trail by 

 these tactics, he strikes straight south again. I follow, and 

 after a walk of a mile I find that his trail leads me to the 

 brink of another canyon as deep, bold and rugged as the one 

 I have just crossed. " Great heavens!" thought I, " can it 

 be possible he is going into this? " " Yes, my brave hunter," 

 he seemed to say, as he paused on top of the wall and looked 

 back to see if I were coming. " I must now bid you good 

 day. I have been playing with you thus far ; but now I have 

 other business to attend to and must leave you. Besides, I 

 am getting tired and must go and lie down awhile. I 

 have given you one dose of canyon and I don't think you will 

 want another. So here goes for the bottom of this one. 

 Good-by, my lad." And his trail showed that he had surely 

 enough taken that awful plunge again. I hesitated but a 

 moment as to whether I should follow, and then my mind 

 was made up. " Not much, my fine buck," said I. "I 

 haven't taken this tramp for my health. I'm after that hand- 

 some coat of yours, and I'll have it if I have to camp on 

 your trail to-night and renew the chase to-morrow. 



So saying I let go, and away I went again at break-neck 

 speed, down, down, down, over rocks, chasms, fallen trees, 

 and through thick brush, until the foot of the wall was at last 

 reached. Here the trail wound and twisted again. Here 

 were new doubles and crosses. Here were frequent "standing 

 tracks ' ' where he had stopped to rest, warm beds in the 

 snow every few rods where he had lain down, all showing 

 unmistakably that the quarry was far exhausted. In follow- 

 ing the track across a level strip of bottom in the canyon I 

 came upon the track of a large she bear and two cubs. But 

 it was not fresh, so I did not leave the trail I was on to fol- 

 low it, but I promised the buck then and there that if he 

 would in his meanderings lead me upon this new game I 



