,.f fv 



84 



AUDUBON 



July 11, Tuesday. Harris returned about ten o'clock last 

 night, but saw no Hares ; how we are to procure any is more 

 than I can tell. Mr. Culbertson says that it was danger- 

 ous for Harris to go so far as he did alone up the country, 

 and he must not try it again. The hunters returned this 

 afternoon, but brought only one buck, which is, however, 

 beautiful, and the horns in velvet so remarkable that I can 

 hardly wait for daylight to begin drawing it. I have taken 

 all the measurements of this perfect animal; it was shot by 

 old Provost. Mr. Culbertson — whose portrait is nearly 

 finished — his wife, and I took a ride to look at some grass 

 for hay, and found it beautiful and plentiful. We saw two 

 Wolves, a common one and a prairie one. Bell is better. 

 Sprague has drawn another cactus; Provost and I have 

 now skinned the buck, and it hangs in the ice-house ; the 

 head, however, is untouched. 



July 12, Wednesday. I rose before three, and began 

 at once to draw the buck's head. Bell assisted me to place 

 it in the position I wanted, and as he felt somewhat better, 

 while I drew, he finished the skin of the Porcupine ; so that 

 is saved. Sprague continued his painting of the fort. Just 

 after dinner a Wolf was seen leisurely walking within one 

 hundred yards of the fort. Bell took the repeating rifle, 

 went on the ramparts, fired, and missed it. Mr. Culbert- 

 son sent word to young Owen McKenzie to get a horse and 

 give it chase. All was ready in a few minutes, and off 

 went the young fellow after the beast. I left my drawing 

 long enough to see the pursuit, and was surprised to see 

 that the Wolf did not start off on a gallop till his pursuer 

 was within one hundred yards or so of him, and who then 

 gained rapidly. Suddenly the old sinner turned, and the 

 horse went past him some little distance. As soon as he 

 could be turned about McKenzie closed upon him, his gun 

 flashed twice ; but now he was almost d bon touchant, the 

 gun went off — the Wolf was dead. I walked out to meet 

 Owen with the beast ; it was very poor, very old, and good 



WM.\ 



