TEN DAYS IN MONTANA. 147 



The only man in the party that is not happy to-night is 

 Dr. Black. He has been riding to-day, for the first time, a 

 very high-spirited horse, who insists on traveling all the time 

 in a trot or canter. The Doctor has lately entered the service, 

 fresh from college, and is not much of a horseman at best. 

 He has whipped and spurred this noble animal ever since we left 

 camp, trying to tame him down to a walk, and of course the 

 more the Doctor plies his whip and spur, the more the horse 

 won't walk. Moreover, he trots very roughly; at each step 

 he throws the Doctor about eighteen inches into the air, and 

 then meets him half way as he comes down. The result may 

 be easily imagined. The Doctor is "all broke up," and says 

 he is sorry he enlisted. He takes his supper standing 

 to-night, and wants to trade places with the driver of our 

 spring wagon for to-morrow. 



As the first streak of daylight appeared in the east on 

 Wednesday morning, September 22d, I took the Judge's gun 

 and went down along the creek to shoot a few ducks, while 

 Mugler prepared breakfast. I bagged six, five mallards and 

 a teal. I also killed a young, half-grown beaver, and saw 

 several others, but could not get a shot at them. This creek 

 is the home of large numbers of them. There are two new 

 dams within a few rods of where we camped, and they may 

 be found at short intervals all along the stream. It would be 

 a good field for a trapper this coming winter. I returned to 

 camp at a little after sunrise, and we partook of a breakfast 

 prepared by Mugler' s skilful hands, and such as one rarely 

 sits down to in camp. Imagine a breakfast out here on the 

 plains, and while on the march, consisting of hot biscuits, 

 baked potatoes, venison and antelope steak, apple sauce, 

 baked sweet potatoes, and coffee with real cream in it. And 

 yet such was our bill of fare on this occasion, a r nd with suit- 

 able variations at every meal during the whole time we were out. 



