I'lli: UOCKY MOUNTAINS iti 



something' were straii£>liii<:!' below, aiul sine eiiouoli wlun 

 we Wfiit ilown tlii'i'L' was iii\' (irst rlk (jiiitc (LmiI, am! I lie 

 aspirations of iiiaiiv vears oiiiilit to luue been satisfied. 

 Yet I am afraid I was not content, for tlioni^li yonng and 

 tender, and can'xiuL;' niDi-c than enoiii'li meat lor <'iir 

 oullit, and to load down Clarke's horse on his reliirn 

 journev as well, his head was a ])oor one, and I could not 

 resist the temptation of trying for a better one. So while 

 Clarke went for a horse to carry the meat to camp. I went 

 on with bloodthirsty intent, but was only rewarded l)y 

 jumping another and much better l»ull. w ho was too quick 

 for nic. and this had the effect of making me keener than 

 ever. It is astonishing how silent)} these great creatures 

 dive away through the thickest timber. There is a crash, 

 a sound of mufHed steps, then dead silence ; but if \'on 

 follow the wide-spread footprints show that speed was not 

 relaxed. AVhat they do with their horns when the stems 

 are close ranked is a mystery. 



In the next day's march we should have reached the 

 Snake lUver and Jackson's Lake, whence we hoped that a 

 three days" rKie would Ijring us to the Geyser Basin ; but 

 we were not destined to proceed far in this direction. As 

 we broke camp the weather began to break too, and the 

 snow to fall in soft meltini'' flakes, which (|uickl\- whitcnc(l 

 the upper grouml. though i'or a time thi y melted as they 

 fell aiiionu- the timber. Gerald and I started on foot to 

 hunt alono- the ridge between the two streams, agreeing to 

 meet our followers at thi'ir juncti(Ui, which might be five 

 miles down. There seemed no room lor a mistake on their 

 Y>nvt. ami \uv maps had proved so correct that T never 

 d«>ul)te<l my ability to liiid the way to the trysting-place 



