THE BUFFALO HUNT 45 



pitted all over with funnel-shaped holes, from 6 to 40 

 feet deep, and of equal width across the rim; none of 

 them contained water. I saw one 100 feet across and 

 about 50 feet deep; some expose limestone; in one 

 place we saw granite. 



At first I took these for extinct geysers, but later I 

 learned that the whole plateau called Salt Mountain is 

 pitted over with them. Brine is running out of the 

 mountain in great quantities, which means that the 

 upper strata are being undermined as the salt washes 

 out, and, as these crack, the funnels are formed no 

 doubt by the loose deposits settling. 



In the dry woods Bear tracks became extremely 

 numerous; the whole country, indeed, was marked with 

 the various signs. Practically every big tree has bear- 

 claw markings on it, and every few yards there is evi- 

 dence that the diet of the bears just now is chiefly 

 berries of XJva ursi. 



As we rode along Sousi prattled cheerfully in his 

 various tongues; but his steady flow of conversation 

 abruptly ended when, about 2 p. m., we came suddenly 

 on some Buffalo tracks, days old, but still Buffalo 

 tracks. All at once and completely he was the hunter. 

 He leaped from his horse and led away like a hound. 



Ere long, of course, the trail was crossed by two 

 fresher ones; then we found some dry wallows and 

 several very fresh tracks. We tied up the horses in an 

 old funnel pit and set about an elaborate hunt. Jarvis 

 minded the stock, I set out with Sousi, after he had 

 tried the wind by tossing up some grass. But he 

 stopped, drew a finger-nail sharply across my canvas 



