306 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



in the marrow-bones, first one end, then the other ; and 

 certainly there is no more dehcate eating for the back- 

 woodsman than buffalo marrow, except bear's ribs, and 

 wild honey. The meat was rather tough, and nothing 

 particular. 



" It was now getting dark, and we began to prepare 

 our camp. One of the party proposed, instead of each 

 rolling himself separately in his blanket, that we 

 should spread the skin, which was large enough to 

 hold us all, and then lay all the blankets over us. 

 But Turner objected, and maintained that as he had 

 skinned the cow alone, he alone would sleep in it. It 

 was all the same to us ; we all had good blankets, and 

 could make ourselves comforlable by the fire, which 

 we closely surrounded, while Turner wrapped himself 

 in his heavy skin, with the hairy side inwards ; — and 

 we were all soon asleep. 



" The weather was extremely cold, and we were 

 obliged to get up several times in the course of the 

 night, to lay on fresh wood, though Turner never 

 moved out of his warm skin. Towards morning the 

 wind changed to north-east, and the sky threatening 

 a snow-storm, we decided on returning home as soon 

 as possible, to avoid the approaching storm, or at any 

 rate to get better shelter than the open prairie afforded. 

 So we swallowed our breakfasts quickly, and saddled 

 the horses, which had been feeding on the dry grass, 

 and now approached as close as they could to the fire. 

 "We called Turner several times to make him get up, 

 but a slight motion of the hide was the only answer. 

 At length, a half smothered cry for help issued from 



