THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



65 



turn they said a hunter from Fort Mortimer had brought 

 a Bighorn, and skinned it, and that he would let me have 

 it if I wished. I sent Bell and Squires, and they brought 

 the skin in. It proves to be that of an old female in the 

 act of shedding her winter coat, and I found that she was 

 covered with abundance of downy wool like the Antelopes 

 under similar circumstances. Mr. Larpenteur caught five 

 small catfish, which we ate at breakfast. After dinner Le 

 Brun returned home, but brought only the skin of a young 

 female of the White-tailed Deer, and I was surprised to see 

 that it had the germ of a horn about one inch long; the 

 skin was quite red, and it is saved. A young Elk was 

 brought in good condition, as the hunters here know how 

 to save skins properly ; it was too young, however, to take 

 measurements. The horns were in velvet about six inches 

 long. When one sees the powerful bones and muscles of 

 this young animal, one cannot fail to think of the great 

 strength of the creature when mature, and its ability to 

 bear with ease the enormous antlers with which its head is 

 surmounted. The flesh of the Antelope is not comparable 

 with that of the Deer, being dry and usually tough. It 

 is very rarely indeed that a fat Antelope is killed. Bell 

 has been very busy in skinning small birds and animals. 

 We procured a young Red-shafted Woodpecker, killed by 

 an Indian boy with a bow and arrow. Mr. Kipp's " Mack- 

 inaw " was launched this evening, and sent across the river 

 with men to relieve the charcoal-burners; she returned 

 immediately and we expect that Mr. Kipp's crew will go 

 off to-morrow about twelve- I was told a curious anecdote 

 , connected with a Grizzly Bear, that I will write down ; it 

 I is as follows : One of the engagh of the Company was 

 forced to run away, having killed an Indian woman, and 

 Imade his way to the Crow Fort, three hundred miles 

 up the Yellowstone River. When he arrived there he 

 [was in sad plight, having his own squaw and one or two 



|children along, who had all suflfered greatly with hunger, 

 VOL. II. — 5 



