58 BREAKING UP OF THE CAMP. 



After some deliberation, we decided to make a season of 

 it to return to the mountains, proceed northward upor 

 the range, and to look out, at least, for trapping 

 opportunities. 



One whole day was occupied in breaking up camp^ 

 mending and cleaning various articles, and stowing oin 

 valuables into the smallest space. The next morning; 

 at the first peep of day, we struck for the mountains, 

 and at noon reached the foot of the range, near the Big 

 Sandy, a tributary of the Colorado, and within full vie^ 

 of the remarkable isolated hills, called the Two Buttes. 

 Shortly afterwards we encamped on the banks of the 

 stream, and while Joe remained to secure the animals and 

 attend to other necessities of the camp, I set off for a 

 short hunt, on foot. 



After an oblique ascent of about two miles, over ground 

 sometimes sandy and sometimes rocky, I came upon a 

 large grove of pines, on the other side of which I caught 

 sight of a large herd of prong-horned antelopes. Creep- 

 ing noiselessly through the grove, I got within rifle-shot, 

 and just as the beautiful creatures snuffed danger, I blazed 

 away, killing one and sending another away with a limp. 



The antelope, the smallest of the deer tribe, affords 

 the hunter sweet and nutritious meat, when that of nearly 

 every other description of game, from the poorness and 

 scarcity of the grass during the winter, is barely eatabK 



