74 



AUDUBON 



Wolf, which he thought was larger and fatter than any 

 killed previously. It was very large, but on examina- 

 tion it was found to be poor and without teeth in the 

 upper jaw. 



July 3, Monday. We have had a warm night and day ; 

 after breakfast we all six crossed the river in the newly 

 built skiff, and went off in divers directions. Provost 

 and I looked thoroughly through the brushwood, and 

 walked fully six miles from the fort; we saw three Deer, 

 but so far were they that it was useless to shoot. Deer- 

 shooting on the prairies is all hazard; sometimes the ani- 

 mals come tripping along within ten yards of you, and at 

 other times not nearer can you get than one hundred and 

 fifty yards, which was the case this day. The others 

 killed nothing of note, and crossed the river back to the 

 fort two hours at least before us ; and we shot and bawled 

 out for nearly an hour, before the skiff was sent for us. 

 I took a swim, found the water very pleasant, and was 

 refreshed by my bath. The Bighorn hunters returned 

 this afternoon with a Bighorn, a female, and also a 

 female Black-tailed Deer. I paid them $15 for the two, 

 and they are to start again to-morrow evening, or the 

 next day. 



July 4-> Tuesday. Although we had some fireworks 

 going on last evening, after I had laid myself down for the 

 night, the anniversary of the Independence of the United 

 States has been almost the quietest I have ever spent, 

 as far as my recollection goes. I was drawing the whole 

 day, and Sprague was engaged in the same manner, paint- 

 ing a likeness of Mr. Culbertson. Harris and Bell went 

 off to try and procure a buck of the Long White-tailed 

 Deer, and returned after dinner much fatigued and hungry 

 enough. Bell had shot at a Deer and wounded it very 

 severely; the poor thing ran on, but soon lay down, for 

 the blood and froth were gushing out of its mouth. Bell 

 saw the buck lying down, and not being an experienced 



