140 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 
submit to his irascible temper and constant insulting lan- 
guage; so, with no companions but my mare and mule, I 
left the camp one bright morning in the month of February, 
with the determination of returning eastward alone. The 
step was full of danger, but I preferred running the risk 
rather than remain to be further insulted, or seek redress 
by recourse to weapons, too often done in this lawless por- 
tion of the world. 
As the teams were being hitched up I started in the re- 
verse direction to their route, little aware of the trying or- 
deal that was before me. My animals were in good condi- 
tion and spirits. For a week I traveled north-east, in the 
hope of finding a suitable halting-place to remain in till 
spring fairly commenced. At length I came upon a spot 
which took my fancy—a small table-land, well sheltered 
from the northern wind, underneath which was .a valley 
that the snow had partially disappeared from, and where 
there was a fair quantity of bunch-grass, the most desirable 
food for the quadrupeds. Under a projecting rock I made 
my camp, for the spot was so inclosed that I hoped the 
lighting of a fire would not attract attention. Weeks roll- 
ed by, and the mare and mule lost little of their condition, 
although the weather was frequently pinching cold. The 
cajions in the neighborhood supplied me with abundance 
of game, and each day I expected that a break in the 
weather would justify .a start for the Eastern settlements. 
Of course one day was only in outline a repetition of the 
other, but how widely different in detail! In the morning 
the horses were taken to the bottom, breakfast was cooked, 
the enjoyable pipe lighted, and the direction settled in which 
~*J would hunt, returning earlier or later, according to success. 
The afternoon would pass mending moccasins or clothes, 
cleaning arms or arranging camp, procuring fire-wood, till 
it was time to hunt up the nags, which being accomplished, 
