120 IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. 



made camp at three o'clock. Huffman went out and made 

 some views of the grand scenery of the canyon. Jack went 

 down the stream a few rods and caught some beautiful moun- 

 tain trout, weighing from one to two pounds each. 



The next morning we made an early start, our next hard 

 task being to get out of the canyon. We went out by what 

 is known as " Huffman's Trail," our artist having discovered 

 it some two or three years ago, when with Captain Baldwin 

 of the 5th Infantry, and a detachment of troops exploring 

 for timber. It w r as only a game trail at that time and he 

 piloted the command over it. It has since been improved 

 by the troops at Fort Custer and is now a respectable looking 

 trail. But oh, how our backs and legs did ache before we 

 reached the top of that terrible wall ! Three long hours we 

 labored with it, and when we had at last scaled it, we landed 

 on another of those broad, level plateaus, where we found a 

 good, plain wagon road leading direct to Fort Custer. Our 

 hard work was at last over, for the descent from here was 

 gradual and easy. That night we camped on the bank of the 

 Big Horn river, fifteen miles below old Fort C. F. Smith, and 

 two days later landed at Fort Custer. From here we visited 

 the Custer battlefield, where sleeps that noble little band who 

 went down under the bloody hands of Crazy Horse, Sitting 

 Bull, and their followers, on the twenty-fifth of June, 1876. 

 A handsome granite monument has been erected on the 

 ground, by order of the Secretary of War, and on it are 

 inscribed the names of General Custer and all those who fell 

 with him. May their memory ever be kept green in the 

 hearts of their countrymen. 



The only event of interest that transpired during our four 

 days' ride down the Yellowstone valley from Custer to 

 Keough occurred on September iQth. We were passing over a 

 high piece of tableland overlooking the valley of the Yellow- 



