AFTER BIG-GAME IN WYOMING 191 



and civilization, anything forgotten must be done 

 without. There is no convenient store round the 

 corner from camp where the missing article can be 

 obtained. I have seldom, if ever, started on a hunting 

 expedition without forgetting something or other 

 usually a civilized necessity of some kind. On one 

 occasion, for example, it was tea. Fortunately, on that 

 particular occasion the omission was discovered and 

 made good at a convenient ranch not far from the 

 starting-point. The prime necessities of camp life 

 namely, salt, matches, ammunition, and blankets 

 were never allowed by our guides to be forgotten. 

 All else besides these, in the eyes of an old-timer, 

 were regarded as luxuries agreeable, no doubt, but 

 not indispensable excepting, perhaps, an axe and 

 cooking-pot, and, it might be, a bottle of whisky. 

 This latter article we took in limited quantity, did not 

 husband it, and when it was finished, happily went 

 without. 



On the eve of our departure from Fort Steele our 

 party were gathered in the main saloon of the town, 

 when Jack perceived through the window a well- 

 known and dissipated local character approaching, 

 apparently bent on a drink. Someone had recently 

 brought a small and rather rare kind of water-snake a 

 few inches long up from the river in an old tin can. 

 * See, boys,' said Jack, ' here comes old Timberline 

 Jones. We'll have a game with him ;' and he rapidly 

 inserted the water- snake into the glass water-bottle on 

 the counter. To the assembled party there enters an 

 instant after our dissipated friend Jones, obviously 

 recovering from the effects of a recent debauch. 

 Would he join the boys in a drink ? He didn't mind 

 if he did, and promptly poured out a whisky straight. 



