2 74 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



ground on to a branch of a cottonwood bush, sat there 

 until I was within ten feet of it, when I thought the 

 opportunity of getting a bite of fresh meat for supper 

 was too good to be missed. 



The next day was rather windy, but not at all cold. 

 In the morning light snow kept falling. Graham and 

 I hunted up the side-creek and about nine o'clock 

 struck the fresh track of a buck mule deer. We fol- 

 lowed it for several miles up and down hill, and at 

 last got very near it; but the ground was unfavour- 

 able and the wind very shifty, and the deer at last 

 either winded or heard us, and went off without giv- 

 ing a chance of a shot, though we just caught a 

 glimpse of its white stern in a patch of thick timber. 

 We saw nothing else nor the track of anything dur- 

 ing the rest of the day. 



On the following morning I went out alone, as Gra- 

 ham had to look after some of our horses that had 

 strayed. I first rode some miles up the valley of the 

 main river, and after fording the stream tied my horse 

 to a tree and then proceeded on foot, following the 

 course of a small tributary creek flowing from the 

 south, through thickly timbered mountains. I soon 

 came on the fresh tracks of four or five wapiti cows 

 and calves; and although I did not actually follow 

 them, for there was no bull with them, I kept cross- 

 ing and recrossing their spoor, as they had been feed- 

 ing all along the creek bottom during the preceding 

 night. 



