. 15 



of the tree on the side of the mountain, without further accident reach- 

 ing our camp in the valley of the Little Rocky at the base of the range. 

 We had to walk most of the distance down the declivity, but our riding 

 horses and pack train came down the mountain without inconvenience 

 or accident, excepting the one mule which fell off the trail, as before 

 described. Notwithstanding that mishap, I am satisfied that a well- 

 packed mule can go either up or down where a horse can be led. Dis- 

 tance marched, 25 miles; altitude of camp, 5,890 feet. This camp was 

 named Camp Wheelan, after Capt. J. N. Wheelan, Second Cavalry, com- 

 manding our escort. Considering that it was the latter part of August* 

 the fact that the country traveled over most of the day was coveted 

 here and there with deep snow, coarse grasses, and early spring flowers, 

 indicated high altitudes and difficulty in crossing on this trail until late 

 in the summer season. In passing a beautiful little mountain lake with 

 beds of snow near it, the head of the column came suddenly upon a 

 drove of about two hundred elk, and, as the hunters had all gone out 

 on the flanks of the column, not a gun was at hand. Although this 

 large drove of magnificent animals turned around when they discovered 

 us, and for a moment ran toward the head of the column, no one was 

 ready but Geer, the guide, who, after some delay in getting his gun out 

 of its case, got a shot which killed a line doe. The men of the escort 

 farther in the rear opened quite a fusillade, but the game was too tar 

 off. The hunters came in that evening with only one elk, although if 

 they had been at the head of the column they could have had as many 

 as we might have desired to kill. After a march of 2.1 miles we had 

 crossed the Bear Tooth Mountain Range and encamped on Little Rocky, 

 whose valley was not especially large or prepossessing, but the clear 

 mountain stream contained thousands of brook trout. Our trail over 

 the Bear Tooth Range was unmarked, and where trails were followed, 

 they were made by elk, bear, and deer. We had no time to pick our 

 steps, but one who will do so will be able, in my opinion, to get a good 

 practicable trail for packing. By this trail the distance from the mouth 

 of Clark's Fork to Cook City will be three days shorter than by the old 



Clark's Pork trail, and I believe that it can be made, if it is not now. a 

 better trail than the other. 



On August 29, we resumed the march at 6.15 a. m., and I wish to 

 say here, that in mentioning that we started at 6.15, which was the 

 latest moment at which we started upon any morningdu ring our journey, 

 I mean that the whole command was ready and the mules packed at 

 that time each morning. In this day's march I gave way to the g uides. 

 T should have gone by the most direct line in our general course to the 

 Bin Rocky, and then taken the valley of that stream to Clark's Fork, 

 but made the mistake of going directly east instead., expecting to 

 strike the Clark's Fork about where the old Bridger Road crosses that 

 stream. The direction taken carried us at first over a good grassy conn- 

 try, but it eventually led us into the bad lands, so that we struck 



